Tumwater School District Superintendent explains benefits of retaining education programs and operations levy

One of the myths of coming from Oregon to Washington was that schools public education here in this state is fully funded.”

Tumwater School District Superintendent Kevin Bogatin

Tumwater School District Superintendent Kevin Bogatin attended this week’s Tumwater City Council meeting on Tuesday, January 16, to discuss retaining the education programs and operations (EP&O) levy.

The tax levy will be a ballot measure in the February 13 elections. The current EP&O levy is only in effect until this year, so the ballot measure asks whether voters want to continue paying for the tax until 2028.

The EP&O levy is a property tax that pays for educational programs and operational costs the state does not fully fund, as stated in documents prepared for the meeting. The levy pays for STEM programs, extracurricular activities, special education, staffing, health personnel, and security staff.

The upcoming EP&O levy is a property tax amounting to $2.50 per $1,000 of assessed value which will be similar to how it is currently now. The school district expects to generate $109 million from the levy from 2025 to 2028.

The levy accounts for 17% of the school district’s budget, which translates to around $20 million a year, according to Bogatin. An equivalent of 727 out of 1,157 full-time employees in the school district are paid through the levy.

Seventy-five percent of the school district’s budget is funded by the state, while the federal government funds 5%.

Bogatin, who had previously worked in Oregon, mentioned that it is a common misconception that the state of Washington fully funds its schools.

“One of the myths of coming from Oregon to Washington was that schools public education here in this state is fully funded,” Bogatin said.

“That was one of the things that was I was told out of McCleary [decision], it's in the Constitution. If that was true, I don't know if we'd be here talking about this levy,” he continued.

The McCleary decision refers to the 2012 WA Supreme Court ruling, which found that the state failed to comply with its duty to fund K-12 schools adequately.