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West Valley School District announces replacement levy and bond slated for February
Summary
Dr. Peter Finch, superintendent of the West Valley School District, said the district will seek a replacement levy and a replacement bond in February to fund about 11% of the district budget, preserve extracurriculars, and pay for facility and safety upgrades including updated cameras at every school.
Dr. Peter Finch, superintendent of the West Valley School District, announced a replacement levy and a replacement bond slated for February to fund instructional programs and facility improvements across the district. "We wanna share with the community that we have an upcoming replacement levy and a replacement bond in February," Finch said.
The district says the replacement levy will continue to fund programs not covered by state and federal dollars. Finch said the levy "pays for about 11% of our budget" and that "a 100% of extracurricular activities are paid by the levy," stressing the levy’s role in sustaining after-school and non-instructional programs that serve students.
The bond measure is framed as a follow-up to earlier capital work. Finch said a long-range facilities planning committee identified Apple Valley and Summit View as high-need sites and that voters approved a prior bond to address those schools. "Now we're in phase 2 addressing other needs of the district," he said, adding that the high school bond will be paid off in 2026, which the district expects will free resources to address mid-level campuses such as Autanum Valley and Mountain View.
Finch emphasized safety upgrades as a component of the bond package. He said the district currently faces gaps in video surveillance at some campuses and that "Every school in West Valley will have updated cameras as a result of this bond." The superintendent presented the proposals as a response to community priorities, saying the board worked "listening to community voice saying keep the tax rate the same in the future and address the facility and the educational needs for our students."
The school board unanimously approved both resolutions related to the replacement levy and the replacement bond. The district has not provided a detailed budget breakdown or the exact ballot language in this announcement; Finch described the levy as covering roughly 11% of the district budget and the bond as funding facility and safety needs. Next steps include finalizing measure language, public outreach, and the February timeline referenced in the superintendent’s remarks.
