North Thurston Public Schools serves almost 15,000 students in 24 schools. Our goal is to maintain high-quality student experiences across our district while maintaining a constant tax rate.

We ask our community to replace the EP&O levy every four years. Without the replacement, students would lose services such as nurses, counselors, special education supports, and athletic and arts programming.

The capital levy provides the support to maintain facilities while also providing our students with access to essential technology for learning.  We are asking for the support needed to maintain the quality expected from our community.

We have mental health specialists assigned to each of our schools. These professionals are either licensed mental health counselors or licensed clinical social workers. They provide mental health support and crisis intervention to students referred by the school counselor.

They also:

• Provide preventive education on mental health
• Facilitate small group sessions
• Work one on one with students in need of short-term mental health support
• Connect students and families to community resources for additional support
• Respond to mental health crises that may arise in the school

The state does not provide any funding for activities or athletics. These programs are important to our students and are directly aligned with our Strategic Plan goal of every student connected to a prosocial activity. We know when students are connected to their peers and school community, they do better academically and socially.

NTPS is funded through a combination of state and local funding and grants. State funding covers about 55% of district costs to deliver high-quality educational programs and services. The replacement EP&O levy makes up 17.35% of our total district budget. It closes the gap between state funding and actual expenses for special education, meals, transportation, STEM education, career and technical education courses, athletics, arts and music, and more.

• 60 cents per dollar – Basic education enhancements such as teachers, mental health support staff, supplies, and CTE courses
• 20 cents per dollar – Special education
• 15 cents per dollar – Facilities and operations support such as fuel for buses
• 5 cents per dollar – Extracurricular programs such as art, drama, music, and sports, which receive no state funding.

The proposed capital levy was developed with the help of our community volunteer Facility Advisory Committee. The committee is comprised of community representatives, students, parents, and staff who develop facility planning recommendations for our growing school district to the School Board of Directors. The committee prioritized to the Board this summer that the Board ask the community to support the items in the capital levy. Learn more about the FAC.

During our community engagement process this summer, school safety emerged as a top priority for our families and community. We regularly work with our law enforcement partners to maintain safety in our schools.

The funding would be used to help ensure student, staff, and community safety, including parking lot improvements, security cameras, fire alarm upgrades, and fencing.

NTPS has a 1:1 Chromebook to student ratio. We refresh these devices about once every four years. We would use capital levy funding to refresh the devices, and upgrade Wi-Fi connectivity in our schools.

We also would use capital levy funding to refresh the audio equipment teachers use to make sure all students can hear and understand the lessons.

Planned improvements include:

• Replace sewer systems at South Bay, Meadows, Olympic View, and Lydia Hawk elementaries
• Replace roofs at Lakes, Chinook, Nisqually, Lydia Hawk, portables, South Sound Stadium
• Resurface parking lot at Olympic View Elementary
• Upgrade building wall and siding design at Chambers Prairie Elementary
• Upgrade boiler at Mountain View and Lakes elementaries
• Replace, repair, rebuild coolers/fridges/freezers at Horizons, Lydia Hawk, Mountain View, Olympic View, Nisqually, and Aspire
• Replace dishwashers at Horizons, Lacey, Lydia Hawk, Meadows, Olympic View, Seven Oaks, and Lakes
• Improve kitchen structures for efficiencies

NTPS has expanded preschool programming over the past several years, yet more than 50% of our students enrolled in kindergarten didn’t have access to preschool programming.

The capital levy would fund construction of preschool classrooms and family-friendly spaces for parenting classes and other family supports with partner organizations.

We are asking for what is needed to support high-quality educational experiences across the district.

Levies provide for the day-to-day operation of schools and programs. The proposed replacement EP&O levy is a renewal of the community’s commitment to funding educational programs and student support. And the proposed capital levy would provide funding for safety, technology, and facility improvements. 

Bonds are financed over a long period of time and are for major modernizations of a building such as the projects at River Ridge High School and Komachin Middle School. 

The estimated rates are as follows: The eight-year bond passed in 2020 is a rate of $1.85 per $1,000 of assessed value. The proposed capital levy is a rate of $0.77 per $1,000 of assessed value. The replacement EP&O levy is a rate of $2.50 per $1,000 of assessed value. This equals $5.12 per $1,000 of assessed property value.

No. A levy is for a specific dollar amount. The school district cannot collect more money than what was approved by voters.

While state funding covers many components of basic education, the state does not cover the full cost of special education, mental health counselors, social workers, school nurses, and other important needs our students have. The state funds about 55% of the district’s budget.

The proposed levies would help fund many important needs related to safety, technology, instruction, arts and athletics, and student support. 

Voters last approved the Educational Programs and Operations levy in 2020, at the same rate of $2.50 per $1,000 of assessed value as this proposed levy. The EP&O levy expires in December 2024, so this measure will replace that expiring levy.

We do have ESSER funds remaining. These funds are dedicated to learning recovery and will fund next year’s Summer Scholars program. The funds will be fully expended by the fall of 2024 and will not be replaced.

Senior and disabled citizens may be eligible for an exemption from all or part of special levies. Call the Thurston County Assessor’s Office at 360-867-2200 for applications and additional information.