Did you know that a key part of the funding sources for our Anacortes School District are Bonds and Levies?  So, what is the difference between a Bond and a Levy?

The easiest way to explain the difference is that a bond is for construction of new buildings (or modification of buildings or purchase of property to build a building).  A levy is for learning and operational expenses such as computers, other instruction materials, tools and supplies.

A levy is a short-term (1-6 years) local property tax collected to fund the portion of education programs and operations that are not funded by the state.  A levy normally requires approval of 50%+1 majority of registered voters to pass.

A bond is a long-term investment that authorizes the school district to basically obtain a loan from investors, or bank and the loan principal and interest is paid over time (typically 12-20 years) through property taxes.  Bonds typically require approval of 60% majority to pass.

The key overall funding sources for Anacortes School District are as follows:

      For 2022-23 (Source: NCES)

             State:       56%       $30.3 Million

             Local:       32%       $17.2 Million

             Federal:   11%         $6.0 Million

Local funding comes from School District bonds and levies that have been approved by local registered voters and paid through property taxes as described above.

Source: WASA-Washington Association of School Administrators

Anthony Lee

Anacortes, WA