LONGVIEW — It’s official: Longview voters have approved a school levy that district officials say will fund better security, revamped infrastructure and updated technology for schools.
At 5 p.m. Friday, the Cowlitz County Auditor’s Office certified the April 26 special election, which asked voters to decide on a replacement capital projects and technology levy for the Longview School District.
Endorsed by the Longview Kelso Chamber of Commerce and touted as a way to pay for much-needed construction projects in the school district, the replacement levy garnered 53.9 percent of the vote in Longview.
About 33 percent of eligible Longview voters turned out for this election. This ballot asked voters to replace the current voter-approved capital projects and technology levy, which was passed in 2018 and charges 51 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value.
This year’s levy will increase the current tax rate to an estimated 88 cents of assessed property value.
District officials have promised the overall tax-collection rate will not actually increase, as this year the district finished paying off a bond passed in 2001 and that measure will drop from tax rolls.
Total tax collection from the Longview School District was projected to drop from $6.3 million in 2023 to $5 million by 2025.
“We are very grateful to the community for supporting the school district and the replacement levy,” Superintendent Dan Zorn said in a statement to The Daily News. “Levy dollars will help make sure school facilities get much-needed repairs and upgrades to serve our students and the community for years to come.”
The levy will help fund projects at Memorial Stadium, improve HVAC systems and air quality, and replace roofs and flooring in schools.
