Community Education

Peninsula School District voters to weigh Feb. 10 local levy ballot measure  

Peninsula School District will place a three-year Educational Programs & Operations Levy before voters on Feb. 10.

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The levy would allow the district to continue supplementing staffing and operating costs not covered by the state. It needs a simple majority to pass.

The school board approved the levy renewal request during a meeting Tuesday. 

The proposed levy would replace an EP&O levy approved by voters in 2023, with collections ending in 2026. The new levy would generate $35.8 million in 2027, $37.8 million in 2028 and $39.8 million in 2029.  

Property owners would pay an estimated $1.30 per $1,000 of assessed value each year of the levy. Actual rates depend on the total assessed value of properties in the district and are calculated by Pierce County in January of the collection year. The current (2025) levy rate is $1.11 per $1,000.

In drafting its levy measure, the district factored in state limits on allowed levy collections, projected inflation, and the potential for less federal funding under the Trump administration, among other factors, CFO Ashley Murphy said. 

Filling staffing gaps

The current levy makes up around 17 percent of the district’s overall budget, covering day-to-day operations and programs it says the state woefully underfunds. The district’s total general fund budget this year is $178,769,283, with about 75 percent coming from the state. Peninsula has just more than 8,000 students.

Most of the levy goes to supplement staffing. This includes not only teachers and paraeducators, but principals and non-teaching staff like custodians, bus drivers and school secretaries (front office staff). 

Murphy reported that in 2024-25, state funding covered 447.55 full-time teaching positions. The district deemed it needed an additional 130.81 teachers, at an uncovered cost in salaries and benefits of nearly $21 million. In other examples from Murphy’s report, the state covered only about half of the school nurses that the district needs. The levy paid for 12.5 additional nursing positions. The state provided less than five technology support positions for the entire district, using assumptions based on 1978 technology. The levy added eight tech staff. 

Providing for ‘enrichment’ 

The state allows districts to collect local taxes for expenses beyond “basic education.” To level the playing field among rich and poor districts, the state says local levies must only cover “enrichment” activities, which are permitted if they “supplement minimum instructional offerings, staffing ratios or program components, and professional learning (for staff).” 

Peninsula’s levy covers athletics and other extracurricular activities, music and the arts, early learning, highly capable and other programs that meet the “supplemental” definition. 

“The levy allows us to invest in rigorous academic curriculum, instructional materials, and programs to help students succeed,” Murphy said. “It will also provide targeted help for students who need it, and additional teachers and staff to support learning, art and music programs, and student enrichment.” 

The district can use its local levy for operating costs the state doesn’t cover. For example, the proposed levy would fund curriculum updates, food service improvements and required building maintenance. The levy would cover students’ school supplies, library materials and outdoor education. 

A 2027-2029 levy spending plan is available to the public on the school board’s Oct. 21 agenda, within the levy proposal report. 

Total cost to taxpayers 

If approved, local levy collections would continue in 2027, along with property tax collections for a six-year Safety, Security & Technology Capital Levy, and a 2019 bond. 

District officials are keen to point out that Peninsula has the fourth-lowest combined tax rate among districts in King, Pierce, Kitsap and Thurston counties, thanks in large part to its relative affluence and high property values. In 2025, property owners pay a total of $1.81 per $1,000 on the current EP & O levy, the Safety & Tech levy, and the bond.

If the district’s estimates hold, the total combined tax rate would increase from $1.80 in 2026 to $1.99 in 2027. The owner of a home worth $500,000 in 2026 would pay $900 in combined local school taxes; the amount in 2027 would be $995. 

“Our community has consistently supported local school levies for more than two decades, reflecting trust in our quality schools and the opportunities available to all students. We deeply appreciate that continued commitment,” said board President Natalie Wimberley. “We remain committed to fiscal responsibility and funding the vital programs, staff, and resources our students need and deserve.”