As chairman of Citizens for Anacortes Schools, I’ve had the privilege of speaking with many community members about the upcoming school levy election. The people I meet are thoughtful and well-informed, working to understand a complex and imperfect school funding system while sorting through conflicting and sometimes misleading information. Below is a summary of the questions we hear most often, along with publicly available sources so voters can review the facts for themselves.

How are Anacortes schools doing academically?

According to the Washington State OSPI report card, Anacortes students are performing well above the state average. 81.4% of Anacortes students are reading at grade level or above, compared with 70.9% statewide. Additionally, 60.8% of students are classified as proficient, exceeding the 50.9% state average. “Proficient” represents a higher benchmark—students who consistently meet grade-level expectations and are on track for college-level learning. While there is always room for improvement, Anacortes students outperform state averages in English language arts, math, and science. Full data can be found here:

https://reportcard.ospi.k12.wa.us

Why now? What will the levies cost? Will my property taxes increase 40%?

These are replacement levies that, by law, must be renewed every four years. There will be an increase, driven largely by rising fixed costs, such as insurance, utilities, and state-mandated annual staff salary increases tied to inflation. District cost tables show a combined increase of approximately $260 per year above current collections for the median assessed-value home if both levies pass. This is not a $250 increase per levy, nor is it a 40% increase in overall property taxes.

https://www.asd103.org/files/user/59/file/Levy-info-updated-tables(1).pdf

https://propertytax.dor.wa.gov/programs/levies/2025-rate-inflation-idp-rate

Is the district transparent about spending?

Yes. The school board and administration are open and transparent about how taxpayer dollars are used. As one example, ASD has publicly posted a prioritized, itemized list of capital maintenance and infrastructure projects, along with other financial information, on its website:

https://www.asd103.org/files/user/59/file/ASD-Long-Term-Facilities-Plan-Project-List-(2).pdf

Has the district right-sized before asking for support?

Yes. Facing an average 1% annual enrollment decline, ASD leadership has made significant and difficult staffing and expenditure “right-sizing” reductions over the past four years to be responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars (see Slide 4):

https://www.asd103.org/files/user/59/file/Levy-info-updated-tables(1).pdf

I encourage voters to review the facts and verify conflicting claims with the school district or original source documents. Anacortes residents face real financial pressures, and not everyone can afford a $260 increase on their taxes, but if you have the means, I hope you will consider saying yes to Anacortes schools so our students and community can continue to thrive.

Sincerely,

David Harris