Ridgefield School District to try replacement levy on Aug. 2

The Ridgefield School District’s Board of Directors voted unanimously Tuesday night to put a replacement levy on the Aug. 2 primary and special election ballot.

The replacement maintenance and operations levy approved by the board is not a new tax; rather, it would replace the current levy when it expires at the end of 2022.

Similar to the measure that Evergreen Public Schools passed last month, Ridgefield’s replacement levy would provide funding for things like health and nursing services and extracurricular programs like athletics and performing arts that aren’t fully paid for by the state.

“The maintenance and operations levy is vital to the successful operation of Ridgefield schools,” Superintendent Nathan McCann said in a statement. “Renewing our current levy funding is a community investment that ensures we can continue delivering the comprehensive, high-quality education our students and families have come to rely upon from the district.”

The current levy is funded by a tax rate of $1.50 per $1,000 of assessed value. If approved, levy funding will be renewed at this same rate of $1.50 per $1,000 of assessed value for calendar years 2023, 2024 and 2025. District officials say Ridgefield has the second-lowest school property tax rate of all K-12 districts in Clark County.

Unlike Ridgefield’s general obligation bond measure that was recently defeated by voters, the replacement levy measure does not fund any new construction projects and requires only a simple majority to pass.