The Issaquah City Council voted 7-0 in support of a resolution backing local school district levies during a Dec. 21 public meeting.

The Issaquah School District (ISD) plans to present three levy measures to voters on the February 2010 ballot. The three measures include the renewal of an expiring four-year Maintenance and Operations Levy for basic operations of schools; a one-year Transportation Levy to maintain the district’s fleet of buses; and a Capital Levy repair school buildings and introduce and update educational technology.

“Issaquah is known throughout the state for quality education,” said Councilmember John Rittenhouse.

“We are blessed with a fantastic school district,” said Council Deputy President Fred Butler. “That’s illustrated by the fact that no one chose to speak against this.”

The Issaquah School Board decided in February 2009 to move forward only with levies and avoid offering bonds, fearing effects from the current economic climate and forecasted need for major construction projects. ISD Superintendent Steve Rasmussen said if the measures passed, local taxpayers would either see no increase or a slight drop in property taxes. He also reminded the City Council that the school board revised anticipated Maintenance and Operations Levy revenues upwards to $38,200,000 (from $35,050,000) after Governor Christine Gregoire suggested the State Legislature could raise school levy lids 4 percent several weeks ago to alleviate cuts in funding from her proposed state budget. That could mean an additional $15 million in taxes for the ISD. Issaquah’s levy lid is currently 24.9 percent.

“The likelihood of the legislature actually bumping up the lid is not very high,” said ISD Superintendent Steve Rasmussen. “If it doesn’t pass, the levy measure will be for the amount allowed” by law, he said.

The M&O levy could bring the ISD $38,200,000 in 2011; $40,995,000 in 2012; $44,550,000 in 2013; and $47,800,000 in 2014, if passed.

The second levy, a one-year School Bus Levy, is for $1,700,000.

The ISD provided transportation for 8,060 students during this year’s annual student ridership this year, an increase from 2008.

The third is a four-year Capital Levy (with critical repairs and technology components) in the amount of $8,875,000 in 2011; $8,531,000 in 2012; $11,163,000 in 2013; and $9,980,000 in 2014.

Statewide, placing levy measures on the ballot and floating bonds are common practice by school boards to make up funding shortfalls.