Washington state school district seeks levy cap removal

ANACORTES, Wash. (AP) — A Washington state school board has asked the state Legislature to remove a cap on how much money school districts can collect through local fees and taxes.

The Skagit Valley Herald reports that the Anacortes School Board signed a resolution called a “Call to Resolve the Levy-Lid Crisis” at its Dec. 19 meeting.

The Anacortes district collected $1.2 million less than what voters approved for this school year, officials said.

That amount is expected to increase to $1.4 million less than what voters approved in the 2020-2021 school year and $1.5 million less the following year if the cap stays in place, officials said.

School district officials need to collect the local voter-approved levies to meet school needs and continue servicing their students, families and communities, officials said.

Multiple staff members were cut due to the cap, district officials said.