SULTAN, Wash., February 6, 2022 – Sultan residents will vote on February 8 whether or not to renew two education levies, both of which are set to expire in 2022. The levies, which come out of local property taxes, will amount to roughly $32 million over the next four years on top of Sultan School District’s $35 million annual budget.
But some residents wonder why the school district is reaching out to community members to cover costs, considering Sultan is already spending $15,503 per pupil, higher than many private schools in the state. The two levies will add a 25% increase to that spending.
Sultan’s school board member Director Ed Husmann was the first to question the district’s spending, ultimately leading him to campaign against the two levy propositions.
“Many people are in very hard, almost desperate, economic times,” Husmann explained in an open letter on his website. “For some, during the not finished yet pandemic, businesses and paychecks were lost while others, school employees, never missed a paycheck, some even enjoyed a pay raise.”
On its levy fact sheet, the district explains that its proposed Educational Programs and Operations (EPO) Levy will fund “vital programs, staffing and materials not funded by the State of Washington.” If renewed, the district’s Capital Projects Levy, which previously funded technology, will instead primarily fund safety, infrastructure, technology, and a new transportation facility, according to the district.
The transportation facility, in particular, has been a constant issue for the district over the last few years. In a September letter to the district, the City of Sultan threatened to condemn the building if its structural integrity were not addressed. The building was not properly maintained over the last few years, despite the district receiving millions in maintenance and operation levies.
“Since I got on the board, I’ve been screaming about this unsafe building that we have and that we needed to fix it,” Husmann told the Lynnwood Times. “And of course, it all fell on deaf ears.”
Husmann proposed a number of significantly cheaper locations in 2019, one of which had a “ready-to-go” facility, which he claims would have only cost the district somewhere between $800,000 and $1 million. But according to Husmann, the board was not willing to put up the money at the time.
Since then, the cost of the district’s new transportation project shot up to roughly $6 million, and the district’s bid fell $1.5 million short.
“It would have required taking out another loan,” said Superintendent Dan Chaplik in the district’s levy overview video. “It would have given the school district $4.5 million in loans with no dedicated way to pay it back.”
Despite falling $1.5 million short to complete the project, the district is now asking for over $14 million from its taxpayers to start construction along with three roof restoration projects at Gold Bar Elementary, Sultan Elementary School, and Sultan Middle School.
Husmann questions why the district did not use the funding from its maintenance and operations levies to maintain these facilities until now. In addition, Sultan has received millions of dollars from the Washington Department of Natural Resources through a Timber Excise Tax, the funds of which are designed specifically for capital projects.
Why the district requires additional funding from taxpayers remains unclear, and why the district chose a levy to finance these construction projects is also unclear. However, bonds require a supermajority vote (a 60% plus one vote) while levies only require a simple majority (a 50% plus one vote).
In a written statement, Debbie Copple and Rob Tutor explain that these levies are crucial for Sultan students. “We all benefit from a well-educated society,” they said. But while those in support of the levies and those against can agree that fully funding education is crucial, Husmann remains critical of the district’s leadership and spending practices.
“Certainly this is a spending problem and not a funding problem,” Husmann said.
Sultan residents can view the Snohomish County Official Local Voters’ Pamphlet for more information, as well as Husmann’s official ‘vote no’ campaign website and the district’s website fact sheet.
Author: Olivia Thiessen
