Next month, the people of Shoreline will vote on a renewed tax levy for the school district. This vote was approved by the School Board in November, and will be on the ballot in February.

But what exactly is a tax levy?

A tax levy increases property taxes, and that extra tax money goes to the school district, to be used for whatever the levy dictates.

The upcoming levies are replacement levies, meaning they have been passed by voters in prior years and are now being renewed at an increased tax rate.

The two replacement levies being proposed by the District are an Educational Program and Operations (EP&O) Levy and a Capital Levy for Technology.

Both of these categories are supposed to be funded by the State of Washington, but the State has not been fully funding them. This is due to an outdated school funding model that the State uses. These funding shortfalls have prompted our district – and many others – to use levies.

First, a breakdown of the Replacement EP&O Levy. This would provide more money for operating costs and supporting students and programs, such as athletic teams, performance teams, and other extracurricular events. EP&O also includes paying support staff, meaning non-teacher staff who provide essential services to students, such as helping students who are learning English.

If passed, the EP&O Levy will give the District $35,467,000, and this amount is intended to increase with future levies.

Now the Replacement Technology Levy. This would provide more funding for tech maintenance, digital curriculum, and classroom technology (such as the projectors teachers use). This one will give the district $3.5 million.

The ballot will be released on Feb. 10, 2026.

Junior Iris Peters is a student representative on the Shoreline School Board and reports on the Board for The Tempest.