Oak Harbor Public Schools

2026-29 Replacement Levy

Graphic announcing a levy renewal for Oak Harbor Public Schools on February 11.

At the October 14, 2024 School Board Meeting, the Board of Directors of Oak Harbor School District adopted a resolution to renew our educational programs and operations levy. This proposition would authorize the District to levy taxes, annually for four years (2026-2029), in place of an expiring levy, upon all taxable property within the District, for the support of educational programs and operations expenses not funded by the State. Voters in our district will have an opportunity to vote on this resolution in the special election on February 11, 2025.

We will be sharing more information about the levy on this web page. Please contact our front office at 360.279.5000 or email briefs@ohsd.net if you have any questions.

Historic and Projected Tax Rate Amounts Per $1,000 Assessed Property Value

A bar chart showing the history of a levy, including previous levies, current levies, and proposed levies.

If the renewal levy is approved, property owners will be paying a lower tax rate than they paid in 2021.
Tax rates are expected to remain steady through 2029
The maximum levy rate set by the State of Washington is $2.50 per $1000 of assessed value. The current levy rate for Oak Harbor Public Schools is $1.81 for 2024 and proposed levy rate is $2.28, which is still below the maximum allowed.

Seeking Committee Members

Oak Harbor School District is seeking applications from registered voters of the District interested in being appointed to a committee to write the for/against statements for the Island County Local Voters’ Pamphlet related to the District’s Renewal of Educational Programs and Operations Levy ballot measure to be considered at the February 11, 2025 special election.

Interested voters should send their name, address, email address, phone number, and committee name (or which position they represent) to: Michelle Kuss-Cybula, Superintendent, Oak Harbor School District, 350 S. Oak Harbor St., Oak Harbor, WA 98277 or via email at mkuss-cybula@ohsd.net by November 20, 2024.
The Board will take action on the appointments at its November 25, 2024 regular board meeting. Contact information for individuals appointed by the Board may be listed in the local voters’ pamphlet.

For more information, please reference the Island County “Jurisdiction Manual 2024”

Jurisdiction Manual 2024

What The Levy Funds

Local levy dollars support vital programs and services for students not covered under “basic education” or underfunded by the state. Despite a State Supreme Court order, even “basic education” is currently not fully-funded. In Oak Harbor, federal “Impact Aid” funds are also used to bridge this gap.

During the 2023-2024 school year, 74 percent of the levy funding was spent in the Basic Education program (classroom teachers, curriculum, extracurricular, counseling, health, clerical).

Local levy dollars impact 631 staff members and countless programs. These include advanced placement classes, special education, the arts, safety and building maintenance, technology, curriculum, para-educators, athletics, clubs, after-school programs, and more. Our local levy has also increased school safety through additional security cameras, fencing, and exterior lighting, updated K-12 technology, and curriculum, as well as funding the 28 classrooms necessary to serve nearly 600 more full-time students since 2013.