What is Prop 1, Prop 2? A look at Seattle's special February election
SEATTLE - Tuesday, Feb. 11, is the deadline for Washington's special election, with a total of 81 measures on the ballot—most focusing on school funding.
People in Seattle are focusing their attention on Prop 1 and Prop 2, which focus on funding for Seattle schools. Not to get confused with Seattle Prop 1A and Prop 1B, which concern funding for affordable housing in the city.
As of Tuesday at 9:30 p.m., both propositions are leaning towards passage, with 77.71% (71,996) of voters voting yes on Prop 1, and 71.91% (66,656) voting yes on Prop 2. About 19% of ballots have been counted.
Seattle Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Brent Jones issued the following statement regarding Tuesday night's election results:
"I want to thank Seattle voters for renewing both Proposition 1, the Educational Programs & Operations Levy, and Proposition 2, the Building Excellence Capital Levy. Your continued investment ensures our students and schools have the resources they need, including staffing, technology, and safe, healthy learning environments.
"We deeply appreciate our community's ongoing commitment to public education in Seattle. Once again, parents, families, neighbors, and the broader Seattle community have stepped up to sustain essential funding for our students and schools.
"Now, our focus shifts to the Washington State Legislature. It's time for state leaders to meet their responsibility to fully fund basic education. Our students are counting on them to do their part."
Keep reading to learn more about each of the propositions.
Proposition 1
Seeks to replace an expiring levy to maintain funding for educational programs in Seattle Public Schools. The levy would fund programs that are not fully covered by state funding.
If approved, the new levy would collect taxes on taxable property in the district for three years, starting in 2026. The estimated levy rate would be:
2026: $0.78 per $1,000 of assessed property value, raising $250 million
2027: $0.75 per $1,000 of assessed property value, raising $249 million
2028: $0.72 per $1,000 of assessed property value, raising $248 million
The funds would support ongoing educational programs in the district.
Proposition 2
Proposes a new capital levy to fund the Building Excellence Program (BEX) VI, which supports safety, security and energy efficiency projects in Seattle schools. The levy would also fund construction and renovation at five schools, major building maintenance and technology upgrades.
If approved, the levy would replace an expiring one and collect taxes on taxable property in the district for six years, starting in 2026. The estimated levy rate would be:
2026: $0.93 per $1,000 of assessed property value, raising $300 million
2027: $0.90 per $1,000 of assessed property value, raising $300 million
2028: $0.87 per $1,000 of assessed property value, raising $300 million
2029: $0.84 per $1,000 of assessed property value, raising $300 million
2030: $0.81 per $1,000 of assessed property value, raising $300 million
2031: $0.79 per $1,000 of assessed property value, raising $300 million
The funds would go toward improving school facilities across the district.
The Source
Information for this article came from King County's Official Special Election Ballot.
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