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What happens if the levies fail?

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We’ve seen this question a lot online, with quite a bit of speculation as to what would happen if our levies don’t pass next week.

Our district has two replacement levies on the ballot right now. They are not new taxes and are at the same tax rates that voters approved in 2022. 

In short, a levy failure would force the district to make some very tough decisions, as the EP&O Levy alone pays the salaries of more than 400 people in the district. That’s more than 15% of the overall budget.

The easiest way to think about what specifically would be cut in a levy failure is to look at what each levy funds. Without the levies, these are probably areas where you would see budget cuts. And while those are decisions the district would have to weigh in the event of a levy failure, here are the facts:

The Educational Programs & Operations Levy funds:

  • Teachers and librarians
  • Paraeducators
  • Counselors and social workers
  • Nurses
  • School Resource Officers and campus safety officers
  • Custodians
  • Bus drivers
  • Arts, orchestra, band, and choir programs, including teachers
  • Middle and high school athletic programs, including coaches. These programs serve more than 5,000 students each year.
  • Special education, multilingual, and early learning staff
  • JROTC Programs
  • Highly Capable programs
  • Community resources supporting our homeless students, 
  • Bethel Rec, which serves more than 6,000 students every year
  • After-school activity buses

    • The Technology Capital Levy funds:

    • Student iPads and other classroom devices
    • iPads are replaced every 3-4 years. We work with resellers to get the best value for the old devices, which puts millions of dollars back into our Tech Levy budget
    • Cybersecurity and data protection
    • Upgraded Wi-Fi and communication systems
    • Instructional software and digital curriculum
    • Tech support staff

      • Election Day is February 10. Don’t forget to vote! 

      You can find more FAQs, as well as lots of levy information at bethelsd.org/levy 

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      Listen to the StoryBy Bethel School District