FAQ

This is not a new tax. It renews an expiring local levy. This proposal renews the existing levy that is set to expire at the end of 2026.

Under state law, education and operations levy dollars may only be used to fund educational programs and operations not funded by the state’s basic education program funding.

Yes. This maximum dollar amount is known as the “levy lid.” As part of the changes the Legislature made in 2020 to the way the state funds education in Washington, also known as the “McCleary decision,” levy rates are capped at $2.50 per $1,000 of assessed property value. 

The renewal Educational Programs & Operations levy maintains the current $2.50 rate.

*NOTE: the levy lid only applies to enrichment (educational programs & operation) levies, not capital project levies.

No, RSD does not get more money if property values increase. The total levy dollar amount that voters are asked to approve, is a fixed amount. Property taxes adjust based on the assessed value of a piece of property each year. If property values increase, the district still is only able to collect the voter approved maximum – no matter how much assessed values increase. As more homes are built in Richland School District boundaries, more property owners contribute to the total levy amount, which means that each property owner may pay less in levy taxes.

Learn more by visiting the 2026 Levy Rates & Taxes webpage.

State funding only covers what is defined as “basic education,” but does not fully cover the actual costs to operate a school district or provide enrichment opportunities for students. Levies bridge that gap in funding. The proposed levies would help fill $43.8 million of the projected $55.3 million gap in state funding for the 2026-27 school year.

This website, www.waschoolfunding.org, helps to put the scope of our state’s K-12 education challenges in context. This resource helps to clearly explain the issues creating financial pressure on K-12 school districts and the need for state funding allocations to reflect these increasing costs.  

Levies and bonds are both voter-approved measures that can be used to pay for needs not covered by a school district's typical state funding.

• Levies can be used to enrich district programs and operations beyond state funding. This can include paying for staffing costs, equipment, and arts and athletics programs. Levies may also be used to pay for modifications and renovations to facilities and design and development of future school district construction projects. Levies must be approved by a simple majority of voters to be implemented for between 1 to 6 years.
• Bonds may pay for construction of new schools and district facilities. They must be approved by a super majority (60 percent) of voters and are implemented for between 20 to 30 years.

Thank you to our community for your long-standing support of Richland School District bonds and levies!

Levies take a simple majority (50% +1) to pass, while bonds take a super majority (60%) to pass.

School districts across Washington state rely on local funding to provide programs and services for students, technology, staffing, school operations and more. 

In 2025, 289 of the 295 school districts in Washington state had a local levy.

Districts can have the same levy rate but raise very different amounts of money because the average property value of a district varies widely across Washington.

A levy rate of $1.00 in a district with an average property value of $200,000 will generate $200 per household in levy funding, but a district with a $1.00 levy rate and an average property value of $600,000 will generate $600 per household for the same level of property tax.

Local Effort Assistance (LEA) is a revenue that the state provides, if and only if the school district passes a levy. If the levy is passed, LEA will be the main driver the district intends to use to build back the fund balance to help stabilize the district’s budget.

Below is RSD's Statement of Apportionment for the 2024-25 school year from the State of Washington. The district received $5,263,679 in funding from the state for the 2024-25 school year from our previously approved levies. The amount given to RSD by the state fluctuates based on assessed home values in our region. 

Yes! There is assistance for low-income households. District residents should contact the Benton County Assessor’s Office about their eligibility for a property tax exemption or deferral.