Community Education

Nearly 59% supporting Peninsula School District levy request

Voters approved the Peninsula School District’s “Replacement Educational Programs and Operations” levy, according to early vote totals posted on Tuesday, Feb. 10.

Results posted Tuesday night show 58.9% of voters supporting the measure, which needs a simple majority to pass. The Pierce County Elections Office has counted 15,892 votes on the levy so far, with additional ballots expected to trickle in over the next few days.

District officials refer to the measure as a “replacement” levy because it would allow continued local property tax collection for schools when the current EP&O levy expires at the end of December.

The EP&O levy pays for school district operations and expenses not covered under the state’s basic education funding formula. It typically makes up about 17% of the PSD budget, which this year is $178.7 million.

Vote totals from the Pierce County Elections Office as of 8:15 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 10.

What the levy pays for

Levy funds pay salaries and benefits for teachers, para-educators and principals, as well as non-teaching staff like school nurses, custodians, bus drivers, mechanics and school safety officers.

The levy will bring in $35.8 million in 2027; $37.8 million in 2028; and $39.8 million in 2029.

The tax will cost property owners an estimated $1.30 per $1,000 of assessed value each year. Actual levy rates depend on the total assessed value of properties in the district. Pierce County calculates the rate early each year. The projected 2026 rate is $1.10 per $1,000.

Property owners in Peninsula School District also pay on a 2019 bond measure and a six-year Safety, Security and Technology levy approved by voters in 2023. In 2026, the projected rates per $1,000 are $1.10 on the EP&O levy, 45 cents on the bond, and 25 cents on the safety and technology levy, for a combined rate of $1.80 per $1,000.