Support levies

To the editor:

I am writing on behalf of more than 300 North Kitsap Education Association members in support of the upcoming North Kitsap school levies.

By approving these measures, we ensure that our children will continue to have access to necessary learning resources, safe and modernized buildings, and the skilled educators they deserve. The expiring levies need to be renewed to keep our class sizes manageable, buildings running, essential staffing positions filled, and to help our neighborhood children learn and reach their potential.

Levies are a necessary property tax that fills voids left by inadequate state funding. Our flawed state tax structure and prototypical model determine state education funding below what is needed. State funding covers 84% of our yearly operating budget, while the rest is filled locally. If our expiring levy funding is lost, class sizes increase, we lose counselors, teachers, paraeducators, library media specialists, and student programs, while our aging buildings fall into disrepair. These levies maintain programs and services that our community has prioritized for our schools. Thankfully, North Kitsap voters have supported our schools for many years. We value our kids!

Please vote yes for kids and direct frustrations with our regressive tax structure to our representatives in Olympia. NKEA will join you! This is how we empower both our children and our education system and build a strong future for North Kitsap.

Ted Jez

NKEA president

Levies important

To the editor:

I have lived in the North Kitsap community for more than 20 years. I am a parent of two boys currently attending North Kitsap School District schools, and I recently completed several years of service on the NKSD School Board. I share this background because transparency, trust, and accurate information matter when our community is asked to consider school funding measures.

The two replacement levies on the upcoming ballot are not new taxes. They continue existing local levies our schools have relied on for years because the state does not fully fund public education. Local levy dollars help bridge that gap and ensure schools can meet student needs.

The Educational Programs and Operations Levy supports day-to-day school operations, including staffing, transportation, extracurricular activities, student health and safety supports, and instructional materials. The Capital Projects Levy supports maintenance and repairs of aging buildings, safety improvements, and technology upgrades.

I understand many residents are concerned about rising taxes, and rightly so. I am also aware of misinformation about school funding and levies. Voters deserve clear facts about how funds will be used and the true tax impact.

For context, under the current 2026 levies, a home assessed at $600,000 is estimated to pay about $1,488 per year. Under the proposed replacement levies, that same home is projected to pay about $1,512 per year in 2027. Actual amounts vary.

Learn more at nkschools.org/2026levy.

Breane Martinez

North Kitsap

Thanks for support

To the editor:

We would like to thank the North Kitsap community and the North Kitsap Herald for their continued support this past holiday season. We raised $13,000 that will be distributed to Fishline, ShareNet, St. Vincent DePaul, Coffee Oasis and American Legion Post 245.

Our support of the critical service organizations continues throughout the year.

John Macdonald

President of Poulsbo Lions Raab Foundation