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Q: What's the difference between a bond and levy?
Bonds are a responsible and fiscally sound way to fund long-term investments like schools, ensuring students have a safe place to learn. School Districts seek voter approval for selling bonds, which allow the district to collect funding up front for major construction of school buildings. Then the bonds are paid off over 20 years. Of our 34 school campuses, 15 were built more than 50 years ago and haven’t been replaced. Bonds help us make sure all students have access to modern and safe school buildings. This bond would build five new schools.
Levies fund short-term investments that contribute to day-to-day needs for students and schools. They also fill critical gaps in state funding. Property owners are assessed a levy rate over the four years of the levy, and then the levy expires. For Edmonds, the Replacement Technology/Capital Levy would continue funding for computers and technology for students, staff and schools.
Q: What is the levy amount?
Proposition 1, the Replacement Educational Program and Operations Levy, is valued at $361 million.
Q: What does the levy pay for?
Proposition 1, if approved funding for essential student services like nurses, counselors, classroom materials and daily school operations that state funding does not fully cover.
Q: Don’t we already spend enough on education? Is there any data that suggests more spending leads to better outcomes?
Data suggests that spending more on students and schools does in fact have a material impact on student and school outcomes. See NBER study here, and AEA study here.
Q: Isn’t the state responsible for funding?
Yes. Washington State funds basic education, but state funding does not fully cover the actual costs of required staffing, services, and daily operations. Local levies allow districts to fill these gaps so schools can maintain nurses, counselors, instructional materials, transportation, and student programs families rely on.
Q: What does this mean for my taxes?
The best source of information regarding the financial elements of both funding measures is the school district's webpage dedicated to the levy and bond.
Our summary of the latest data suggests that beginning next year, property owners can expect the Educational Programs & Operations levy portion of the school tax rate to be around $1.45 per $1,000 of assessed value as part of the overall school property tax rate, which is currently about $2.66 per $1,000 of assessed value.
That change in tax rate is tied to fluctuations in assessed property values, not because the district is increasing taxes for new spending. In other words, even if the levy isn’t approved, the school property tax rate can still change slightly due to changes in assessed values and existing levies/bonds.
Keep in mind that the Edmonds School District still has one of the lower overall school tax rates in our region, and the levy request is intended to maintain essential programs and services rather than substantially raise taxes.
Keep in mind that the Edmonds School District has one of the lowest tax rates in our region, and the district is only asking for what it needs to maintain essential school services while maintaining a stable tax rate.
Q: What does it mean if the replacement levy is approved?
If the levy is approved, Edmonds School District can continue funding essential daily school operations that are not fully funded by the state, including nurses, counselors, instructional materials, student activities, and transportation. The levy replaces an expiring levy, helping maintain current services and staffing levels rather than expanding programs or adding new ones.
Q: How do I vote in this election?
Ballots are due by 8 p.m. on Tuesday, February 10, 2026.
