Sedro‑Woolley School District outlines two renewal levies, says average homeowner would pay about $12 more monthly

Brett Greenwood, assistant superintendent for the Sedro‑Woolley School District, told the City Council on Jan. 29 that the district is asking voters to renew two levies on the upcoming ballot: a four‑year Educational Programs & Operations (EPO) levy and a six‑year Capital Projects (CP) levy. Greenwood said the EPO levy would be asked at a $2.50 per $1,000 assessed‑value cap and that the district cannot collect more than that cap if voters approve it. He said the district is asking to maintain the $2.50 cap to keep funding stable amid inflation.

Greenwood summarized how EPO dollars are used: “the vast majority of our levy pays for teachers, special education, and paraeducators,” plus school nurses, psychologists, custodial and maintenance staffing, security staff, extracurricular activities and athletics, and technology and curriculum needs. He said state funding covers a notable share but that local levy funds allow the district to maintain class‑size goals, specialist services and extracurricular programs.

On capital projects, Greenwood described a six‑year roadmap prioritizing roof and window repairs, plumbing work at Evergreen, ADA access improvements, turf and track replacement at athletic fields, phased drainage at Janicki Fields, kitchen remodels and new or replaced portables. He called the turf and track replacement a safety issue: Greenwood said the turf is worn through and the track surface has bubbles and exposed black backing that create unsafe conditions.

Greenwood provided a district cost example for homeowners: using an average Sedro‑Woolley home value cited in the presentation ($519,000), he said the EPO increase would amount to about a $12 monthly rise for that homeowner. Greenwood also noted the district’s Chromebook and telephone hardware replacement needs, security camera replacements, and that some projects (for example Evergreen renovations) respond to earlier failed bond attempts.

Council members asked about enrollment trends, graduation rates and program specifics. Greenwood said the district has seen a slight enrollment increase in recent years and reported a graduation rate of 94.2 percent at Sedro‑Woolley High School. Council members and staff discussed how impact fees, which the district can use only to add classroom space, are insufficient to fund portables (which cost roughly $200,000–$300,000 each, Greenwood said).

The presentation concluded with Greenwood directing residents to levy handouts and a QR code linking to levy facts on the district website and encouraging voters to review information before deciding. The council received the presentation as informational; the council did not take a position on the ballot measures during the meeting.