Richland School District No. 400 Proposition No. 1

Local Ballot Measure Richland School District No. 400 Proposition No. 1

REPLACEMENT OF EXPIRING EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS AND OPERATION LEVY

The Board of Directors of Richland School District No. 400 adopted Resolution No. 937, concerning a proposition to finance educational programs and operation expenses. This proposition would authorize the District to levy the following excess taxes, replacing an expiring levy, on all taxable property within the District, for educational programs and operation expenses not funded by the State:

Collection Year Estimated Levy Rate/$1,000 Assessed Value

2023 2024 2025 2026 $2.50 $2.50 $2.50 $2.50 Levy Amount

$28,533,131 $29,959,787 $31,457,777 $33,030,666

all as provided in Resolution No. 937 and subject to legal limits on levy rates and amounts at the time of levy.

Should this proposition be approved?

LEVY YES

LEVY NO

Explanatory Statement

PROPOSITION NO. 1 – REPLACEMENT OF EXPIRING EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS AND OPERATION LEVY

Passage of Proposition No. 1 would allow Richland School District to replace an existing educational programs and operation levy that will expire at the end of calendar year 2022. The taxes collected by this replacement levy will be used to pay for expenses of educational programs and operation that are not fully funded by the State of Washington. These expenses include, but are not limited to: smaller class sizes; teaching and support staff; school safety; instructional materials; special education; student activities; athletics; building maintenance and operations; and other educational programs andoperation expenses. Taxes collected by the proposed replacement levy will provide approximately 13% of the District’s General Fund budget. Further information is available on the District’s website at https://www.rsd.edu/.

The proposed four-year replacement educational programs and operation tax levy would authorize collection of taxes to provide up to $28,533,131 in 2023, $29,2959,787 in 2024, $31,457,777 in 2025, and $33,030,666 in 2026. The tax levy rate required to produce these levy amounts is estimated to be $2.50 per $1,000 of assessed value. The exact tax levy rates and amounts to be collected may be adjusted based upon the limitations imposed by State law at the time of the tax levy. Exemptions from taxes may be available to certain homeowners. To determine if you qualify, call the Benton County Assessor at 509.786.2046.

The Official Ballot Title was written by the Richland School District as required by law. The Benton County Auditor is not responsible for the content of arguments or statements.

Committee & Contact Information Pro Committee

Danica Garcia

Committee Contact (509) 593-8601 Committee & Contact Information Con Committee

Dallas Burt

Committee Contact (509) 380-4263

Richland School District No. 400 | Proposition No. 1 Pro Committee Statement Con Committee Statement

The school educational programs and operations (EP&O) levy provides crucial funding for the Richland School District(RSD) budget. Current funds collected from state tax dollars do not meet the operating needs of RSD. State tax dollars only provide enough funding for two school nurses to serve all 19 Richland School District schools, and for only half the staff needed to serve the district’s hundreds of students with disabilities. Levy dollars close this gap to provide the good schools students deserve.

RSD’s EP&O levy fills the gap by providing $1 for every $6 of the district’s budget. This funding supports numerous needs and district inciates including: Mental Health Services, Athletics, Staff training and professional development, Additional course offerings (i.e. Advanced Placement (AP), Special Education), Staff (i.e. nurses, paraprofessionals, school resource officers) above state minimums, Art, music and physical education programs, Curriculum and instructional materials, and Extra math and reading help.

Facts

The 2015-2016 budgeted expenditures were $140 million, enrollment the same year was 13,344. The 2020-2021 budgeted expenditures were $193 million, the enrollment at the beginning of this school year was 13,671. In 2019 only 43.8% of students met the State Science Standard, with PNNL and the Hanford Nuclear Site in our backyard.

No New Taxes

The levy is a replacement levy for the current expiring levy. The current levy is already assessed at $2.50/$1000 of property value; the same rate is requested under this levy.

Vote Yes

At a time when our students need our support more than ever these levy dollars provide vital support to make sure all our students have the support they need. Vote yes to support our students and support our schools.

Email: richlandcitizens4goodschools@gmail.com Website: https://www.facebook.com/ RichlandCitizensForGoodSchools A no vote on the levy will send a message to the Richland School District that we are not happy with its current status. We have decreased test scores, increased suicides, and our kids are still not back to school in a normal learning environment. The Federal Government has been giving school districts plenty of extra money, so they can afford to go without the levy. Ignore the threats, Special Education will still be funded per Federal law. A levy should be withheld until RSD makes the necessary changes to improve accountability and responsibility. The voters need to hold the RSD accountable.

The RSD has no fiscal proficiency

In a Curriculum Audit performed in 2018, auditors reported the following: “Financial decision making and budget development processes lack cost-benefit analyses and are not adequately linked to curricular goals and priorities… no formal, routine effort has been made to link student achievement or program performance feedback to budgetary decisions. Additionally, participation in the budget planning processes at the district level lacks full inclusion of stakeholders and is inconsistently utilized at the building level.” Has the RSD taken any corrective action?

Pro Committee Rebuttal

Option 1 A no vote hurts students by denying vital funding for programs including special education, PE, Art/Music/ Drama. The state and federal government continue to pass unfunded mandates; levy dollars are vital to close the funding gap. For nearly a decade, RSD’s audits have had ZERO findings from the Washington State Auditor. Recent budget increases result from the McCleary Decision, which still doesn’t fund basic education. Vote YES to give RSD students a good education.

Con Committee Rebuttal

In 2020, we were taxed approximately $12 per $1000; $5 of $12 went to RSD (excluding current levy). RSD wants to extend the levy without demonstrating fiscal constraint or what they’re doing to arrest declining performance. State testing confirmed the decline even though staff and administration are paid above state average (~ 40%). RSD continues funding bad behavior without providing corrective actions. Taxpayers shouldn’t be responsible to remedy poor execution when RSD takes no accountability. See next page for Richland School District No. 400 | Proposition No. 2