TECHNOLOGY AND SAFETY LEVY Olympia School District

Why a Technology and Safety Levy? The OSD’s technology capital levy will expire at the end of 2014 The school board is requesting a renewal of the levy to:  Continue providing students and staff with a 21 st Century learning environment  Build on our successes  Implement key safety initiatives

A Carefully Considered Request Thorough review of district’s technology use and needs:  Technology Advisory Committee  Technology Think Tank  Citizen forums  Staff survey  Outside evaluator – Thorough review of all tech functions 15-year Facilities Master Plan review  Identified key safety issues we can undertake now

Additional Information Olympia voters passed technology levies in 1994, 2000, 2006 and 2010 This is not a request for a new levy It would be a renewal of the 2010 technology and capital levy that expires at the end of 2014 The amount of the expiring 4-year levy is $25 M This 4-year renewal request is for $13.2 M A simple majority “yes” vote is required to pass

Additional Information Why is this request less than the last one? Last levy included some capital projects that are now complete We’re asking only for what we need now to complete key technology and safety projects

How Would Levy Dollars Be Spent? Computing devices for new state/district testing and student projects Replacement of aging devices New/upgraded classroom technology (interactive projectors, document cameras, audio enhancement systems, etc.) Assistive/adaptive technologies for special needs students (voice-recognition software, speech-to-text, etc.) (more…)

How Would Levy Dollars Be Spent? Technology support for teachers as they integrate technology into classrooms Infrastructure upgrades (wireless, core systems, etc.) Technicians to deploy these projects Technical support agreements for critical hardware/network systems Digital curriculum (more…)

How Would Levy Dollars Be Spent? Key safety items, including:  Security cameras in schools  Cameras on buses  School “panic button” to call first responders Online learning and collaboration tools Website and mobile communication enhancements

How Would Levy Dollars Be Spent?

How Much Would the Levy Cost? Expected tax rate for first year would be $.62 per $1,000 of assessed value That would decline to $.34 per $1,000 as follows:

How Much Would the Levy Cost? The projected 2015 total tax rate will be $5.33 per $1,000 of assessed value (projected 2014 rate is $5.20 per $1,000 of value). The owner of a home worth $250,000 would pay an average of about $9 per month, or $109 a year, in each of the levy’s four years

Questions?