Spokane voters should maintain their track record of supporting K-12 education by approving the Spokane Public Schools' bond and levy measures on the Feb. 13 ballot.

Central Valley, West Valley, Mead, and other districts in the region also have bond or levy elections. While the Journal hasn't weighed the merits of each request, we, as a business community, have learned in recent years that a healthy K-12 education system is a cornerstone of a strong workforce development pipeline, one that has become increasingly important during post-pandemic labor shortages. In such an environment, voters would be wise to support all local schools.

At Spokane Public Schools, specifically, the need is apparent, and the approach is encouraging. If passed, the combined tax rate for bonds and levies would stay within pennies of the current rate, an indication that SPS is reading the room and understands that property owners, in an inflationary era, don't have an appetite for higher taxes.  

In the school district, the expected combined tax rate for K-12 education this year is $3.82 per $1,000 of assessed value. That would be about $1,530 annually for a house valued at $400,000. If the present bond and levy elections pass, the combined tax rate is expected to stay within six cents per $1,000 of assessed value of the current rate. 

For context, while still considering the tax rate per $1,000 of assessed value, the proposed rate is about 40 cents to 70 cents lower than it was from 2019 to 2022 and around $1.80 lower than in 2017 and 2018. 

Of course, property values have soared over the past eight years, which means homeowners are paying a lot more in taxes than they did in 2018. The school district's lower levy-and-bond rate, on some level, is an acknowledgement of that. 

For the bond election, which would go toward building replacements and improvements, the school district hopes to fund $200 million in projects over a six-year period, which is less than it sought in the 2018 bond election. Projects that would be funded involve replacement of Adams Elementary School, on Spokane's South Hill, and Madison Elementary, on the North Side. A portion of North Central High School, located just north of downtown, would be modernized, as would Garry Middle School, in East Spokane. Chase Middle School, in southeast Spokane, would be modernized, and design or construction would start on a number of additional improvements. 

The projects, of course, would lead to additional work for architects, engineers, and contractors, thereby generating additional jobs. 

The levy, which covers operations, replaces the expiring 2021 levy. It funds extracurricular activities, health and wellness services, and more. 

Adam Swinyard, the school district's superintendent, argues that such programs have become more important in improving students' emotional health and well-being in a post-pandemic environment in which students' mental health issues have become more prevalent. 

"We're going to pay now or pay later," Swinyard says. "We can decide when we're going to pay and how we're going to pay." 

Spokane voters should pay now, at the levels they're already paying. It's best for the community as a whole and the business community alike.