In February (2025) the Battle Ground School District ran a 4 year levy (EP&O). It failed by 60 votes to get 50% +1. The school board directors voted to put the exact same levy back in front of the voters in April (they can legally run a levy or bond 2x in a year). This article is intended to share reasons why someone might vote NO on the levy. It is of course up to each voter to look at the Pros and Cons and then make their own decision. Note:
Update: According to the Clark County WA Elections Dept. the estimated cost to the Battle Ground School District for the February election was about $180,000. The April special ballot cost…are you ready? Comes in around $240,000. So the cost of both = (est) $420,000.
Update: The district has added information to their website – https://www.battlegroundps.org/page/educational-levy
The school district and school board holds most of the cards. They only need to get 50% +1 votes to say yes to pass the levy. They put up information on their website citing all the reasons they think voters should vote yes…but…they don’t list a single no reason (nor are they required to). Public dollars are used for the website so your tax dollars are used to attempt to convince you to vote yes. The school district can create and send out one (1) mailer. They likely use the resources of ESD 112 to create the graphics and brochure. The cost for doing this can easily run $15,000 or more…of your tax dollars. The district can also email (newsletters) parents with information and reminders to vote yes. (There’s a fine line between “informing” and “promoting”.)
What do opponents have in the way of resources? Perhaps some social media? No mailers. No fancy graphics. No signs. Just word of mouth. In reality many people don’t even vote (25% turnout is considered good). If there are any errors in the school districts information they can be reported to the school board but the board has no obligation to correct anything…nor do they need to inform the public of any errors or corrections. In short, the public is at a severe disadvantage.
Legislative Note as of March 3, 2025: House Bill 1356, sponsored by Rep. Steve Bergquist, D-Renton, would increase the maximum per-pupil limit used for school enrichment levies gradually over several years up to $5,035 in the 2031 calendar year. The bill also changes the 101% revenue growth limit for state property taxes to 100 percent plus population change and inflation, with a capped limit of 103 percent.
Here’s what was submitted by the NO group for the election ballot brochure:
This is a new levy because it’s asking for a Lot more money than the one expiring. Specifically, the expiring 4 year levy will have collected $115,700,000. The new levy would collect $166,275,000. That’s an increase of $50,757,000 or 43.7%. The 2026 to 2030 inflation rate is projected at 2.4% per year. If we take 2.4 x 4 that is 9.6%. So this levy increase is 4.55 times (455%) higher than the projected inflation rate.
82% of the 2024/25 levy collection ($25,500,000) went to personnel while 17.7% ($5,500,000) went to maintenance and operating costs (MSOC). How much of this new levy money could go to teachers when they negotiate their new contract in 2026?
Student headcount has been flat for the past 6-8 years. Testing scores are poor. Specifically 50% are failing English; 61.7% are failing Math and 55% are failing Science. Locally we spend over $17,700 per student per year which is about 40% higher than private schools. Our spend per student is roughly double what it was 10 years ago. More money has done nothing to solve the educational crisis.
Property taxes are through the roof. Wage growth trails costs. Retirees are under water. Everywhere you turn your costs (groceries and gas) are overwhelming. What can you afford? Should you say No and demand a top to bottom re-examination of K-12 education? Your vote is your voice. Finally, HB 1356 would raise the local levy cap. Other taxes are being proposed. For more information visit:
https://swweducation.org/category/battle-ground/
Given that background why consider voting no?
1) The levy expiring was 4 years. It will collect $115,700,000.
2) The new levy (it’s called a “renewal” by the proponents) will collect $166,275,000 over 4 years. That’s an increase of $50,575,000 (+43%). Inflation is projected to be 2.4% per year. In 4 years compounded inflation will be about 10%. That means that the collections increase will be 4.5x (455%) the rate of inflation. Costs are certainly NOT going up by 450%!
3) In the 2024/2025 budget year the district says they will collect $31.1mm of which $25.5mm was allocated to personnel and $5.5mm going to maintenance, supplies and operating costs. To cover the bills they had to take money out of the “reserve fund” to the tune of $9.8mm to balance the budget (2024/2025). If they don’t raise more revenue they will need to cut expenses. This will be their #1 focus to get yes votes.
4) Over the next 4 years, if this levy passes, $136mm of the $166,275,000 (82%) will go to personnel with about $29mm (18%) going to operating costs and maintenance (called MSOC). It’s worth noting that WA State teachers are among the highest compensated in the Nation. Indeed, WA teachers rank #4: https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/best-states-for-teachers. Teachers will open negotiations for a new contract in 2026. Will they target that $136mm or even more?
5) In 24/25 the BGSD personnel budget looked like this:
The total district budget is $242,645,492
The total personnel budget is $191,191,635 – 78.8% of total district budget
The total certificated adm is $12,691,352 – 5.2% of total district budget
The total certificated non-adm is $121,485,389 – 50.1% of the total district budget
The total classified adm is $1,127,361 – 0.5% of the total district budget
The total classified non-adm is $55,887,533 – 23.0% of the total district budget
6) Test scores are terrible. Before the pandemic scare or post scare. If you go look at the Battle Ground test scores at the OSPI website: Report Card – Washington State Report Card here’s what you see:
=> 81.8% graduate high school
=> 77.2% attend school 90% of the time (so 23% don’t)
=> 50% are failing English
=> 61.7% are failing Math
=> 55% are failing Science
=> We spend over $17,000/student/year which is 40% higher than private school
The spend per student has essentially doubled in the past 10 years for what? The State Superintendent of Public Instruction (Chris Reykdal) has asked the legislature for billions more.
Chris Reykdal has publicly stated that he supports boys in girls bathrooms and locker rooms and in sports. He believes in “equity” over “equality”. He demands that districts follow state mandates on sex education, DEI and other social programs or suffer the possibility of loss of funding. If his views stand then your levy dollars will support his agenda.
Personnel costs are breaking the bank. Do you want to know what district employees in the BGSD earned in 2023/24? https://fiscal.wa.gov/K12/K12Salaries Teachers earn well above the median income in Clark County
Summary:
* It’s clear that more money is not the answer.
* Voting no and stopping the levy from passing will have significant consequences. Is that what’s need to get back to basics and focus on core learning? Your vote is your voice. Let the people be heard. A No vote may be about money or it may be a way to express displeasure and a demand for change.
Have public schools devolved into mostly daycare centers rather than places to learn? Ask questions. Examine the data. Make an informed decision and….VOTE!
Data Sources
Battle Ground School District | The School Data Project (OSPI data reported)
WA State Public Schools finance data: K-12 Public Schools Reports
OSPI District Performance Reports: Report Card – Washington State Report Card
School district financial watchlist report: financial_indicators_through_sy2023_for-posting.xlsx
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