King County Local Voters Pamphlet

Nov. 2, 2004 General and Special Elections

Tahoma School District No. 409 Proposition No. 1

PROPOSITION NO. 1 CAPITAL LEVY FOR TECHNOLOGY

The Board of Directors adopted Resolution No. 2004-19 concerning this proposition. This proposition authorizes acquiring educational technology, equipment and training, including classroom computers to support instruction; and authorizes the following excess levies for such purposes on all taxable property within the District:

all as provided in District Resolution No. 2004-19. Should this proposition be approved?

Yes
No

Explanatory Statement

Tahoma School District is seeking approval of a four-year Technology Levy. This levy would be used to purchase approximately 1,000 new computers for classroom use, replace 1,700 computers that are at least five years old, update software, purchase related equipment such as projectors and scanners, and provide staff training. Levy funding for technology is being sought because very little state apportionment money is available to be spent on technology. Grants and donations also are insufficient to meet the needs of the entire school district.

The levy replaces a four-year Technology Levy that expires at the end of this year. The proposed levy would collect $1.3 million each year. It would cost an estimated 41 cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation the first year and 39, 38 and 37 cents per $1,000 per year in each of the remaining three years. The owner of a home valued at $250,000 would pay $103 per year, or $8.58 per month in the first year of the levy and lesser amounts in succeeding years.

The levy amount and the spending priorities were recommended to the Tahoma School Board by a committee of local citizens and school district employees who have interests or expertise in technology. The committee created the Tahoma School District Technology Plan, which outlines how technology should be used for educational purposes in the district. This proposed Technology Levy is necessary to implement the Technology Plan, which provides guidelines for using enhanced technology to prepare today’s young people for school and careers.

Complete Text of Resolution

RESOLUTION NO. 2004-19

A RESOLUTION of the Board of Directors of Tahoma School District No. 409, King County, Washington, providing for the submission to the
qualified electors of the district at a special election to be held therein on
November 2, 2004, of the proposition of whether excess taxes should be
levied in the amounts of $1,300,000 in 2004 for collection in 2005,
$1,300,000 in 2005 for collection in 2006, $1,300,000 in 2006 for
collection in 2007, and $1,300,000 in 2007 for collection in 2008 for
the District’s Capital Projects Fund for technology improvements,
equipment and training.

WHEREAS, the educational facilities of Tahoma School District No. 409, King County, Washington (the “District”), including technology facilities are in need of modernization, improvements and expansion to meet the current and future educational needs for its students; and

WHEREAS, funds available to the District will be insufficient to enable the District to implement such projects; and

WHEREAS, in order to support the cost of these projects as found necessary by the Board of Directors, it is deemed advisable that the District levy a tax upon all the taxable property within the District in excess of the annual tax the District is permitted by law to levy without a vote of the people, such levy to be made for four years commencing in 2004 for collection in the school years from 2004-2005 through 2008-2009, inclusive, as authorized by Article VII, Section 2 of the State Constitution and RCW 84.52.053; and

WHEREAS, the question of whether or not such excess tax may be levied must be submitted to the qualified electors of the District for their ratification or rejection; and

WHEREAS, the conditions here and above set forth create an emergency which requires the holding of a special election in the District;

NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF TAHOMA SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 409, KING COUNTY, WASHINGTON as follows:

Section 1. Finding. It is hereby found and declared that the welfare of the students and other residents of the District requires the District to carry out the improvements hereinafter provided.

Section 2. Authorization of Improvements. The District shall modernize its educational facilities through the acquisition and installation of technology systems, including computers, training and implementation support, and shall make other Capital Projects Fund expenditures as found necessary by the Board of Directors.

The District may repay any obligations hereafter incurred for the foregoing purposes.
If available funds are sufficient, the District shall acquire, construct, equip and make other capital improvements to the facilities of the District, all as the Board of Directors finds necessary; provided that such funds may be used only to support the construction, modernization, replacement, and remodeling of school facilities or implementation of the District’s technology facilities plan.
If the District shall determine that it has become impracticable to accomplish any of such improvements or portions thereof by reason of changed conditions or needs, incompatible development, costs substantially in excess of those estimated, or acquisition by a superior governmental authority, the District shall not be required to accomplish such improvement and may apply levy proceeds as set forth in this section. If any or all of the improvements have been completed, or their completion duly provided for, or their completion found to be impractical, the District may apply the levy proceeds or any portion thereof to other portions of the improvements or to other capital purposes of the District, as the District in its discretion shall determine. Notwithstanding any provision of this resolution to the contrary, levy proceeds may only be used to support the construction, modernization or remodeling of school facilities or implementation of the District’s technology facilities plan.

Section 3. Authorization of Levies. It is hereby found and declared that an emergency exists requiring the submission to the qualified electors of the District of the proposition whether the District shall make the Capital Projects Fund levies for their ratification or rejection at a special election to be held on November 2, 2004.

For the purpose of providing funds necessary for the needs described in Section 2 above, the King County Records and Elections Division, as ex-officio supervisor of elections in King County, is hereby requested to find the existence of such an emergency and to call and conduct such special election to be held within the District on such day and to submit to the qualified electors of the District for their approval or rejection, a proposition providing for tax levies for the Capital Projects Fund for four years, commencing in 2004, producing dollar amounts at estimated tax rates per thousand dollars of assessed value to produce such amounts, in excess of the maximum amount tax levy permitted by law to be levied within the District without a vote of the electors, all as follows:

A. $1,300,000, said levy to be made in 2004 for collection in 2005;

B. $1,300,000, said levy to be made in 2005 for collection in 2006;

C. $1,300,000, said levy to be made in 2006 for collection in 2007; and

D. $1,300,000, said levy to be made in 2007 for collection in 2008.

The estimated levy rate depends upon the final dollar amount of assessed value of the property within the District. At this time, based upon information provided by the County Assessor’s office, the estimated levy rate for the 2004 levy is $0.41 per thousand dollars of assessed valuation, the estimated levy rate for the 2005 levy is $0.39 per thousand dollars of assessed valuation, the estimated levy rate for 2006 is $0.38 per thousand dollars of assessed valuation and the estimated levy rate for 2007 is $0.37 per thousand dollars of assessed valuation. The exact levy rate shall be adjusted based upon the actual assessed value of the property within the District at the time of the levy.

Section 4. Approval of Form of Ballot. The Secretary of the Board of Directors is hereby authorized and directed to certify said proposition to the King County Records and Elections Division, as ex-officio supervisor of elections in King County, substantially in the following form:

PROPOSITION NO. 1
TAHOMA SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 409

CAPITAL LEVY FOR TECHNOLOGY

The Board of Directors adopted Resolution #2004-19 concerning this proposition. This proposition authorizes acquiring educational technology, equipment and training, including classroom computers to support instruction; and authorizes the following excess levies for such purposes on all taxable property within the District:

all as provided in District Resolution No. 2004-19. Should this proposition be approved?

YES . . . . . . . . . []
NO . . . . . . . . . []

The polls for such special election shall be open from 7:00 o’clock a.m. to 8:00 o’clock p.m.
The Secretary of the Board of Directors of the District is hereby authorized and directed to deliver certified copies of this resolution to the King County Records and Elections Division.
ADOPTED by the Board of Directors of Tahoma School District No. 409, King County, Washington, at a regular meeting thereof, held this 27th day of July, 2004.

TAHOMA SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 409,
KING COUNTY, WASHINGTON

__________________________________
President and Director (signed)

__________________________________
Director (signed)

__________________________________
Director (signed)

__________________________________
Director (signed)

_________________________________
Director (signed)

ATTEST:

_________________________________
Secretary, Board of Directors (signed)

Updated: Oct. 8, 2004

PAMPHLET INDEX