The Hoquiam School District’s proposed 2020 two-year levy would make up for the “gap in state and federal funding” for programs and materials not covered by local government dollars, said Superintendent Mike Villarreal.

“It helps us in our small district with staffing, programming, curriculum and materials,” he said. “It’s critical we receive this voter support.”

A successful levy, which requires a simple majority for passage, also opens the door for a sizable chunk of additional state funding from the state Local Effort Assistance program.

If the levy is passed, Villarreal said the school will receive more than $1.5 million in funding from the state program in each of the two years covered by the levy, more than $3 million over the two years. If the levy fails, that money will not be available to the district.

The educational programs and operations levy, as it’s called, would provide money for sports, music and after-school programs, among other things, including improving the safety of the students within the district.

Some buildings within the district currently don’t have security cameras, said Villarreal, and the district is looking at using some of the levy funds for more cameras. He added the school is also trying to keep up with the rapidly expanding technology needs of modern education.

The money can also be used for emergency repairs. Leaks in the aging buildings in the district spring up from time to time, some recently, and levy money can go toward fixing problems such as that.

“There is some flexibility in those funds,” said Villarreal.

Some of the things levy monies fund include the hiring and training of teachers, support staff, textbooks and other instructional materials, transportation, and preventative maintenance and repairs.

The two-year levy, which is on the Feb. 11 special election ballot, replaces the current two-year levy which runs out at the end of 2020. If it passes, property owners in the district will pay $2.50 for every $1,000 of assessed value. As an example, for a $125,000 home, the annual levy rate would cost $312.50 a year for the two-year levy.

The levy represents about 6% of the district’s funding. The lion’s share, nearly 80%, comes from state funding. Federal funding accounts for only about 10% of the district budget.