Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan is pitching her new Families, Education, Preschool and Promise Plan as something that would cost most Seattle families $5 a week.
The mayor unveiled the proposed levy Wednesday that would raise $91 million per year and a total of $636.5 million over seven years.
It would replace two separate voter-approved levies — a seven year Families and Education levy and a four-year preschool levy — both of which are expiring.
Durkan proposes to have Seattle residents vote on the plan in November; it is up to the City Council to decide to put the measure on the ballot.
The levy would expand a program that provides preschool to families who otherwise couldn’t afford it. It also helps to fund Durkan’s previously announced Seattle Promise plan to provide two years of college tuition to Seattle high-school graduates.
The expenditures would break down as follows:
- Preschool: 57 percent
- K-12 education: 26 percent
- School-based health programs (K-12): 10 percent
- College tuition: 7 percent
Unlike previous levies, this proposal allows for exemptions for certain people who can claim it would be a financial hardship. Here's where you can find a detailed description of the proposal.
The city also recently announced expansion of the Seattle Preschool Program for 3- and 4-year-olds. Here is how to apply.
Separately, the Seattle School District is proposing to put both a construction and an operation levy on the February 2019 ballot, and three community meetings are planned next week to get public input on those. Here are details on those sessions.
