11/25/2025
Let's talk about this upcoming February Levy...
Richland School District has been dishonest and irresponsible with tax dollars in the past and this upcoming levy is no different. Some people are saying this one is not asking for more money and that is simply not true. The percent would be staying the same, but because our property assessments have skyrocketed, that percent would result in us paying an additional $300 per year on top of what we are already paying (for an average $400k-$500k home). Also, Richland, Kennewick, and Pasco school districts are all asking for a levy this year, but you know which district is asking for the most? Richland. And you know which district is the smallest in enrollment? Richland. Kennewick, specifically cut their levy down to make it smaller and more fiscally conservative for their community members. Do you know which district pays their district administrators the most? Richland.
Richland has historically been arrogant with their levy and bond requests. Rather than listening to what community members ask for, they create inflated bonds and levies for astronomical amounts of money because they know that historically Richland always passes them. We have demolished perfectly beautiful and sturdy brick buildings and built all new ones because the tax payers keep showering them with money. Our administrators are some of the highest paid in our area and all got raises during covid even when schools were shut down.
Richland school district has also misappropriated MILLIONS of dollars that were already promised to tax payers. The community passed a bond a while back for about $30M for another new elementary school. When the Badger Mountain School new build went $15M OVER budget, the district decided to not build a new elementary school after all. The other $15M just magically disappeared. This is just one example of what is meant when community members pass a bond/levy, then the district doesn't fulfill on their promises. This last Spring, the District also layed off some paras and nurses who work daily with students and hired ANOTHER district superintendent (making $200K+) amidst all of those lay offs. How is that ethical use of our tax payer money?
Also, the district is actually declining in enrollment. Why do they need more money for less students? And our student scores are horribly low. We have been throwing money at our district for years and our scores continue to tank. Something has to change!
I personally will not ever vote to pass another bond or levy in this district until student scores go up, enrollment shows a valid increase to necessitate a rise in taxes, and the district actually shows they will be honest and responsible with funding. I know they like to threaten that student services will decline etc, but until we have honest and reliable administrators, we cannot trust our money to be wasted with the same people over and over again. If you hired a company to clean your carpets and they stole half your money then didn't clean house the way you asked, and it was still dirty and only half way completed, then they came and asked for more money to shampoo the carpets on the other side of your house, would you pay them??? What if they told you, but if you don't pay them more money, then your kids can't have their room clean and a nice place to play? Would you pay them more money then??? Trusting that this time they wouldn't steal your money and they might clean your home properly and do a good job? No. You would fire them and try to hire a new company. Even if it means your kids don't get a nice clean bedroom right now. It is worth the wait to hire a quality company who will use your money wisely and give you quality work in the end. Sadly, it is the teachers and students who will end up suffering for now, because the district doesn't know how to manage funds honestly or even how to ask for a conservative levy amount.
Total proposed tax rate (including debt service) on the taxpayers:
Kennewick - $3.03 to $3.05
Pasco - $3.92 to $4.00
Richland - $4.15 to $4.20
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