The Battle Ground Public Schools Board of Directors voted Monday, Nov. 24, to place a levy renewal on the Feb. 10 ballot. The approval was unanimous, with Director Terry Tate excused. Two incoming directors, Marshall Marrott and Lorri Sibley, also supported the measure during a Nov. 10 meeting.
The levy, if approved, would collect $189.5 million over four years. This will be the district’s third attempt after voters rejected two replacement levies last year. The district is operating the entire 2025-26 school year without levy dollars starting in 2026, which forced $14 million in cuts to staff and programs. If voters approve the new levy in February, the district cannot collect funds until 2027.
The current levy expires in December. Its rate of about $2.14 per $1,000 in assessed value will drop to roughly $0.45 next year without a replacement, which would be the lowest rate in the county. If approved, the levy would collect an estimated $1.99 per $1,000 of assessed property value for four years. The board selected the higher of the two options reviewed earlier this month. District leaders say it gives them the flexibility to restore some positions and programs, though rising operating costs mean the full scope of restorations remains uncertain.
Superintendent Shelly Whitten said the district is committed to restoring programs cut, but acknowledged that inflation would make it difficult to return all programs to 2024-25 levels.
“We want to bring back as many as we can,” she told The Reflector when asked about middle school sports. “We can’t promise everything will return.”
Student representative Toby Nguyen shared what he heard from middle school students during recent visits. His comments underscored the impact a lack of sports has had on morale.
“One of the main things we would hear is ‘without middle school sports, coming to school is just… a bore,’” he said. “‘There's no reason to come to school…’ There’s no joy for them, and they have nothing to try for.”
Cuts made this school year eliminated all middle school sports and coaching positions, free school supplies for primary grades, Kindergarten Jump Start, instructional coaches and teacher librarians. The district also reduced crossing guard shifts, nursing and mental health roles, consolidated bus routes, delayed curriculum purchases, and scaled back the ASPIRE magnet program by removing its third-grade cohort.
Should the district fail to pass a levy renewal next year, it will face another $20 million in necessary cuts, impacting programs and staff once more.
