On the May 21, 2024 primary election ballot, Bend-La Pine Schools proposes a 5-year Local Option Levy that would allow the District to bridge the funding gap and dedicate resources to important programs and services.
This short video covers what you need to know about the Learning Levy.
Question
Shall District levy $1.00 per $1,000 assessed value for five years beginning 2024-25 to bridge funding gap, support priorities? This measure may cause property taxes to increase by more than three percent.
Summary
The Bend-La Pine School District is unable to fully fund student-focused programs and services with revenues received under the state funding model. This proposed 5-year local option levy would allow the District to bridge the funding gap and dedicate resources for the following:
Protecting and maintaining class sizes
Strengthening and adding CTE pathways
Recruiting and retaining teachers and support staff
Increasing advanced academic offerings for students
Improving support systems for struggling students
Enhancing elective offerings in music, art, technology, business, world languages
Passage of the levy would help the District focus on strategies that prepare students for lifelong learning and career success. The district serves over 17,000 students in 33 schools.
If approved, the levy would establish a tax rate of $1.00 per $1,000 of assessed property value. The estimated cost for a home with a median assessed value of $238,750 is about $239 a year. The levy would provide the District approximately $21.2 million in the first year.
Add counselors
Support music and arts enrichment
Add learning specialists and educational assistants
Maintain class sizes
Create new CTE pathways
Add campus safety monitors
Expand electives
Increase staffing for academic enrichment and intervention
Maintain class sizes
Expand CTE opportunities in all 7 high schools
Increase access to advanced courses including AP, IB, and dual credit
Increase staffing for academic enrichment and intervention
Maintain class sizes
Increased support for students experiencing barriers to learning, including students with disabilities, living in unstable housing, in foster care, and newcomers.
Sample Deschutes County property tax statement
(Click image to enlarge.)
Estimated Levy Tax: $
Note: Some property owners will be assessed at a rate less than $1 per $1,000 of assessed value if their property taxes are subject to compression. Under tax limits introduced by Measures 5 and 50 in the 1990s, if total education taxes (excluding bonds) exceed the limit, the Local Option Levy may be reduced. This “compression” generally applies to properties for which a smaller gap exists between assessed value and real market value.