The Port Townsend School District will present two levies on the Feb. 12 special election ballot as essential to preserving the current status of its schools and education.

District officials are promising voters they won’t see a significant jump in their taxes. The current education programs and operations levy rate, which expires at the end of 2019, is $1.53 per $1,000 of assessed property value. The district is looking to replace it with two levies.

The education programs and school support levy rate would be $1.08 per $1,000 of assessed property value, and the capital levy rate would be 45 cents per $1,000.

The combined rate of both levies, which would start in 2020 if approved by a simple majority, would be $1.53 per $1,000 of assessed value, the same at the 2019 levy rate.

The combined rates for 2021 and 2022 would be $1.54 and $1.55, respectively.

“We wanted to even out what the taxpayers would be paying so there wouldn’t be any spikes or valleys,” said Jennifer James-Wilson, the vice chair of the Port Townsend School Board.

James-Wilson agreed with Port Townsend Schools Superintendent John Polm that such levies make possible what Polm deemed the district’s “unique approach” to education.

“Without those dollars, it’s difficult to maintain that,” Polm said. “We know how much the community supports and recognizes the value of programs such as our maritime and place-based learning, our on-campus gardens and our wellness initiatives. Those are all supported by local levy dollars.”

James-Wilson expanded on Polm’s assessment.

“The McCleary decision helped state education enter the modern age, but it still doesn’t address a lot of the costs of basic education,” James-Wilson said. “Libraries, special education, our award-winning music and arts programs, even extracurriculars such as sports, all rely heavily on local levy dollars.”

James-Wilson deemed Port Townsend schools “so deeply intertwined” with local levy funding that its loss would have an unimaginable impact.

The capital levy includes funds for “asset preservation” and renovations designed to bring facilities into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, Polm said.

“At 25 years, Blue Heron Middle School needs money to ensure functions like plumbing, especially since it’s built by wetlands,” James-Wilson said. “And our high school needs a second elevator for the annex. Our bond provided for one elevator at the main building, but we need to provide for those whose who have mobility issues, and not be in violation of the ADA.”

Polm and James-Wilson expressed their appreciation to the community for the support it’s shown in the past.

“Historically, people have been very supportive of such measures,” James-Wilson said. “They just want to know what the money will be used for.”

Jefferson County Auditor Rose Ann Carroll said about 18,000 ballots should be mailed Jan. 23 to all voters eligible for the Feb. 12 election.