Whatcom County schools, tax districts seeking levy renewals. Here’s what to know
Ballots are due next week in a special Whatcom County election featuring taxes for several school districts and other public agencies.
Washington votes by mail, so ballots must be postmarked — not just placed in a mailbox — by 8 p.m. Tuesday. Ballots can also be placed in special drop boxes around Whatcom County.
Postal and elections officials recommend using a drop box within a week of Election Day.
Schools in Bellingham, Ferndale, Blaine, Lynden, Meridian, Nooksack Valley, Mount Baker and Concrete are seeking levy renewals. Blaine-Birch Bay Park & Recreation District 2 is seeking to renew a property tax and the Fire Protection District 8, which serves the Marietta area and Lummi Nation, is seeking a new levy for maintenance and operations, according to the Whatcom County Auditor’s Office, which conducts elections.
Levy renewals for the school districts include an educational support and operations levy and a technology levy. Those funds make up the difference between services that the school districts want to provide and the money for those programs that comes from the state.
▪ Educational support and operations levies pay for teachers, counselors, nurses and other staff, plus a range of programs including special education, multilingual learners and “highly capable” learners; arts, music, athletics and other programs; food services and wellness; field trips; and preventative maintenance in schools, according to the Bellingham Public Schools website.
Bellingham Schools are seeking an operations levy of $1.20 per $1,000 of assessed valuation starting in 2025, according to a sample ballot. That levy rises incrementally each year to $1.27 per $1,000 of assessed valuation by its expiration date in 2028. The operations levy collects $37 million in its first year, and $43 million in its final year.
▪ Technology capital levy pays for computers; classroom technologies; adaptive technologies for children with special needs; science, technology, engineering and math resources; career and technical education supports; staff who maintain equipment and provide training; and software and curriculum licensing, according to Bellingham Schools.
Bellingham Schools’ technology levy seeks 61 cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation starting in 2025, rising to 65 cents by 2028. The technical levy collects $19 million in its first year, and $22 million in its final year.
What it costs you
In all, a Bellingham homeowner whose house is assessed at $600,000 would pay $1,086 under the operations and technology levies next year, if they are approved Tuesday. That homeowner’s total school tax for 2025 — including a bond measure passed in 2022 — would be $1,764, according to the district’s website.
