Student working in the kitchen

The Ocosta School District proposes a three-year replacement Educational Programs and Operations (EP&O) Levy on the February 14 ballot.  This levy will continue funding extracurricular activities, athletics, and other educational programs for Ocosta students.   This is not a new tax but a replacement for the previous EP&O levy.

Election Day is Feb. 14.  The levy will be the only item on the ballot for the Grays Harbor County and Pacific County residents in our school district. The Elma School District is also running a bond.

“We know the tax burden is a challenge, so it was important to us that we keep the rates as predictable and stable as possible,” Superintendent Sweet says. The replacement Educational Programs and Operational Levy is proposed at a lower rate than is currently being assessed.  The fees for property owners are $1.44 per $1,000 assessed property value. For a home valued at $200,000, the annual rate would be approximately $288 per year or $24 per month. Actual tax totals can vary depending on the details of each home. Annual tax rates for individual homeowners can generally be calculated by dividing the total cost of the property by $1,000 and then multiplying it by the levy cost.

Property owners in the Ocosta School District will be pleased that the current Capital Projects Levy will drop off the rolls at the end of 2023, lessening the tax burden on the property owner by $.42 per $1000 of assessed value.

Many of the programs included in the district budget not funded by state or federal dollars depend on the levy passage, Sweet said. The levy would pass as long as it gets more than 50% of the vote. 

Ballots for the election will be sent out from the Grays Harbor Elections office on January 24 and 25.   They must be postmarked or in ballot return boxes by 8:00 pm on February 14.   Information regarding the levy can be found on the district website Ocosta.org.  For additional questions, please call superintendent Heather Sweet at 360-268-9125 ext. 1002 or by email at hsweet@ocosta.org