By Howard Buck
Columbian staff writer
The Battle Ground school board on Saturday agreed to place a three-year local school levy on the Feb. 9 ballot. It would raise $20.5 million in 2011, $21.53 million in 2012 and $22.6 million in 2013.
The proposed levy would replace a three-year measure that expires in 2010.
Its narrow approval in 2007 followed a double levy failure in 2006 that prompted classroom and other program cuts and employee layoffs. Levy money is used for general operating purposes, including salaries, supplies and maintenance not paid by the state.
Saturday’s decision capped a nine-hour board meeting that was the first for three newly elected members: John Idsinga, Steve Pagel and Monty Anderson.
Board members and district officials grappled over estimated tax rates per $1,000 of assessed property value required to raise the levy dollars sought before reaching a unanimous decision, according to Gregg Herrington, a district spokesman.
Complicating the decision were the poor economy and sharp decline in new housing and commercial development after years of robust growth.
With home values, on average, plunging 15 percent or more in Battle Ground and north Clark County in the past year, a corresponding increase in tax rates would be necessary just to generate an equal total dollar amount in 2010.
Local projections hint at continued flat, or even lower, property values before any significant rebound.
However, board members mindful of stressed household budgets and potential tax fatigue sought to keep tax rates as low as is prudent, they said.
Before setting the levy amount, the five board members discussed a new three-year strategic plan for the district, which resulted from numerous public meetings over the past 11 months. The board cut $4 million in spending from the plan’s best-case proposal.
Battle Ground in August trimmed its operating budget by nearly 2 percent to $114.5 million for the current school year, driven mostly by Washington state school spending reductions.
Given the likelihood of further state cutbacks, school leaders feel pressure to bolster local tax contributions. As it stands, Battle Ground’s current levy accounts for far less a share of its annual operating budget than the maximum set by the state, or that collected by most Clark County school districts.
That 3 percent to 4 percent gap is worth millions of dollars each year.
So-called M&O levy dollars are used for classroom supplies, training, extracurricular and transportation expenses, plus other costs not covered by state funding for what’s considered basic education.
Battle Ground is the sixth Clark County school district to set a levy measure for the Feb. 9 ballot — not counting the Woodland district, which also will place a measure before voters.
La Center school officials are due to finalize a levy request when they meet Dec. 15.
