November 2 School Levy: Ensuring Success for our Students

1. November 2 School Levy

2. Why place a levy on the Nov. 2 ballot? • To help ensure that we provide the services that our students need to be successful. • Because SPS has absorbed dramatic state funding cuts ($32M) over the past two years. Additional cuts are expected for 2011-2012 - current budget gap estimate is $32.8 M. • Recognizing that the state will make additional cuts to K-12, the legislature authorized districts to ask voters for additional levy funds.

3. What will the $48.2 M levy pay for?Overview • Quality Instruction for our students • $5.9 M to purchase textbooks and materials and to train teachers in their use. • About $16.8 M to support our teachers. The new 3-year contract cost is about $19 M; the levy would fund about $16.8 M of that over the 3 years of the contract. • Reduce the number and severity of cuts to instructional programs and services that will have to be made due to decreased funding and increasing costs – approximately $25.8 M over the 3 years of the levy

4. What will the $48.2 M levy pay for?Specifics – textbooks and materials • $5.9 M to purchase textbooks and materials and provide professional development to teachers in using them • Elementary music • Middle School Language Arts • High School Science • High School Social Studies • This expenditure would be made during this school year with training in the summer and books/materials in classrooms this fall.

5. What will the $48.2 M levy pay for?Specifics – Quality Instruction • $16.8 M toward the cost of the new certificated teachers contract over the three years of the agreement (total contract cost is about $19 M) • Contract costs include: • Additional collaboration time for K-5 and K-8 teachers ($4.6 M) • Career ladder stipends ($5.1 M) • 1% pay increase for teachers in year 2 and additional 1% in year 3 ($5.4 M) • $2.4 M to implement the new evaluation system • $1.5 M in other costs (such as 1% for substitute teachers, extra prep day for nurses, etc)

6. What will the $48.2 M levy pay for?Specifics – Reduce severity of budget cuts • $25.8 M (approximately) over three years to help offset decreasing funding and increasing costs. Levy funds will reduce the number and severity of cuts to instructional programs and services. Even with additional levy funding, the size of the budget gap is so large that cuts are unavoidable. • Decisions about how to allocate this category of levy funds (and all revenues) will be made by the School Board, as part of each annual budget development process.

7. What will the levy cost Seattle taxpayers? • About 12 cents per $1,000 of assessed value • Owner of a home valued at $400,000 would pay $48 per year

8. What will be the impact on students and schools if the levy is not approved? The School Board makes final decisions as part of its annual budget process. However, it is likely that: • Textbook and materials purchase would be delayed or cancelled. • Full implementation of the teacher’s contract would be in jeopardy (per agreement with SEA) • Cuts to instructional programs and services for 2011-2012 and beyond are likely to be very deep.

9. Voting by Nov. 2 • All voting is by mail for this election. • Ballots must be post-marked by Nov. 2 • King County Elections is reminding voters that there are many measures on the ballot and to remember to turn the ballot over to vote on measures on the back. The School Levy measure appears on the back of the ballot.

10. How can I get more information? About Seattle Public Schools Levy: Information and FAQs www.seattleschools.org About King County Elections and Voting http://www.kingcounty.gov/elections.aspx