Voter ballots will be arriving in your mail box soon enabling you to vote on the Ferndale School District replacement Educational Program and Operations Levy.
School districts throughout Whatcom County are going to the voters requesting replacement property tax levies on property within each school district’s boundaries to support each district’s educational programs and operations.
While Washington State legislators recently increased the amount of money provided to schools from the state budget, it was money necessary to hire and pay the additional teachers required to accomplish smaller class sizes in grades K through 3. This means, to maintain current levels of maintenance and operations, the replacement levies will need to be about the same amount as the levy they replace.
Plans to put a Ferndale High School renovations bond on the ballot at the same time as the levy were postponed indefinitely back in November.
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Click for more informationThe Ferndale School District levy being replaced
| Collection Years | Approximate Levy Rate/$1000 Assessed Value |
Levy Amount |
| 2013 | $3.52 | $13,000,000 |
| 2014 | $3.45 | $13,500,000 |
| 2015 | $3.43 | $14,500,000 |
| 2016 | $3.53 | $15,500,000 |
The replacement levy being requested
| Collection Years | Approximate Levy Rate/$1000 Assessed Value |
Levy Amount |
| 2017 | $3.70 | $14,475,000 |
| 2018 | $3.70 | $14,765,000 |
| 2019 | $3.70 | $15,060,000 |
| 2020 | $3.70 | $15,360,000 |
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Click for more informationAccording to the statement in favor of the Ferndale levy as included in the Voters’ Guide,
The Levy funds 25% of the District’s budget and pays for a quarter of teacher salaries, two-thirds of classified staff, and all athletic, drama, music, technology, and extracurricular programs like Aiming High and the award-winning Future Farmers of America.
There was no statement against the levy in the Voters’ Guide.
The school district is hosting three public events for the community to receive information and get questions answered about the levy (click links below for details).
Friday, January 22nd from 7:30am to 8:30am at the Central Elementary School library
Saturday, January 23rd from 12p to 1pm at Vista Middle School room #15
Monday, January 25th from 7pm to 8pm at the Custer Elementary School library