Cascade School District asks voters to renew levies at unchanged rate; district details tight 2024 finances

Superintendent Tracy De Jong and Business & Finance Director Brenda presented the Cascade School District’s year-end review and the district’s plan to run two replacement levies on the Feb. 11, 2025 ballot.

Tracy outlined academic, extracurricular and program highlights for 2024, including designation as a demonstration site for inclusionary preschool practices, outdoor STEM projects, a new Anatomage anatomy table funded by an $80,000 grant, and recognition for academic growth in students with disabilities. She said state auditing for payroll, special education and ESSER funds produced no findings.

Brenda reviewed the two replacement levies: an Education Programs & Operations (EP&O) levy and a capital levy for safety, sequencing and technology. She told council the district intends to keep the combined levy rate the same as the current rate (listed in the district materials as $1.14 per $1,000 assessed value) and to restructure how the levy amounts are split between EP&O (which is capped by student enrollment) and capital (which is not enrollment-capped) to better match projected needs without increasing the overall rate. Brenda said the decision followed a tight 2024 budget year that included unexpected insurance and special-education cost increases; the district reduced staffing by three positions and reorganized to align personnel with projected student numbers. She said the district continues to seek cost savings and will refinance a bond to produce taxpayer savings on the bond tax rate.