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

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.

It’s important to note that voters approve a set amount, not a tax rate. Estimated tax rates are used when explaining school levies to better inform voters of what their tax statements could look like, if the local levy is renewed by voters.

Understanding Your Tax Statement

When Oak Harbor taxpayers receive their property tax statement, they see three taxes for schools. One is for the local voter-approved enrichment levy for Oak Harbor Public Schools and two are for state-collected tax for basic education funding. We do not control the tax rate for the state-collected taxes, nor do we have control over how much funding we receive from those two tax amounts.

SCHOOL DIST 201 ENRICHMENT: Locally controlled educational programs & operations levy (voter approved and goes directly to Oak Harbor Public Schools for programs prioritized by our community)
STATE SCHOOL & STATE SCHOOL PART 2: State controlled, basic education levies collected by the State of Washington (Not voter approved or controlled locally. State allocates these funds.)

What The Levy Funds

Local levy dollars support vital programs and services for students not covered under “basic education” or underfunded by the state. A good reminder is Levies are for Learning and Bonds are for Building. 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.

Health & Safety
Academic Support
Student Programs
Technology