Image: Students in arts, sports, music and transportation activities

In February 2024, Woodland voters approved a three-year Educational Programs & Operations (EP&O) levy. Thank you, voters.

Woodland voices are at the heart of how levy dollars are used. To ensure our decisions reflect the needs and values of our community, Woodland Public Schools gathered input from stakeholders to shape our Levy Stewardship Framework, guiding how funds are prioritized and allocated across the district.

Our top commitments are:

  • Student-Centered Decision-Making
  • Responsible Resource Management
  • Strategic Fund Allocation

See the impact of levy dollars and the community's investment in Woodland schools

In Woodland, local levy funds provide approximately 13.5% of the district’s overall budget in 2025-26.

Image: Levy Pie Chart 25-26
Levy funding supports key staffing positions that are not fully funded by the state.
Image: Woodland Staff Levy Percentage Charts

In Woodland, local levy funds support programs and services for students, including:

Image: Female middle school athlete at the start of a race

Athletics & After School Clubs

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Image: Students getting a snack at Woodland Child Care

Before and After School Childcare

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Image: Student using technology in the classroom

Technology

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Image: Paraeducator assisting a student

Special Education

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All Levy Supported Programs:

  • All Athletics, Clubs, and Extracurricular Activities
  • Staff Positions (unfunded or not fully funded by the state)
  • Safety & Security Upgrades
  • Maintenance of Facilities and Equipment (beyond what is funded by the state)
  • Optimal Class Sizes
  • Educational Supports for Students with Special Education Needs (beyond what is funded by the state)
  • Educational Supports for Multi-Lingual Students (beyond what is funded by the state)
  • Daily and Extracurricular Transportation*
  • Advanced Course Offerings
  • Technology Staffing and Obsolete Equipment Replacement
  • Before and After School Child Care at Woodland Child Care
  • Utilities, Supplies, and Operating Costs
  • Affordable Food Service
  • Music & Arts Clubs

*Levy funds have supported transportation for decades, including bus purchases and extracurricular, regular, and specialized services. As electric bus grants and fleet adjustments reduce this need, levy funds make up a smaller share of transportation costs, though they continue to provide meaningful support.

Frequently Asked Questions

Tax Year Levy Rate Bond Rate Total Rate
2017 $2.51 $1.91 $4.42
2018 $2.55 $1.74 $4.29
2019 $1.50 $1.63 $3.13
2020 $2.37 $1.53 $3.90
2021 $2.36 $1.57 $3.93
2022 $2.32 $1.41 $3.73
2023 $2.10 $1.21 $3.31
2024 $0.00 $1.15 $1.15
2025 $2.15 $1.08 $3.23
2026 $2.19 $1.16 $3.35
2027 (Est) $2.21 $1.15 $3.36
Calculate your estimated tax based on your home's assessed value:
(Assessed Value) x (Estimated Rate) / $1,000 = Estimated Yearly Tax / 12 = Monthly Rate

*Tax rates are per $1,000 assessed property value. Future tax rates are estimates. Tax rates may fluctuate, based on community growth and property assessments, but the district cannot collect more than approved by voters.

By law, school districts can NOT collect more taxes than approved by voters. If assessed property values increase over the life a school levy, the tax rate collected by the school district DECREASES accordingly.

Image: OSPI Per Pupil Cost Comparison

OSPI reports Woodland's per-pupil cost as $19.4K. That figure includes transportation funding for the full KWRL bus cooperative, which Woodland manages for Kalama, La Center, Ridgefield, and Woodland. Excluding cooperative transportation funding, Woodland's actual per-pupil cost is $16.9K, well below Washington state's per-pupil average of $19.3K.

0% of all districts in Washington state are operating with an active levy in the 2026 calendar year (OSPI).

The state uses a formula they refer to as "regionalization" to calculate how much a district receives based on home values within and just beyond the district's borders.

Since Woodland Public Schools service area expands deep into rural areas where home values are less than those closer in, the state's regionalization calculation provides less funding to us as our average home values are closer to the statewide average rather than other districts in and around Clark County, where average house values are higher than the statewide average.

Since we have to pay competitively to the districts in Cowlitz and Clark counties, this miscalculation creates a significant disadvantage for our district. Our Board of Directors has been appealing the state's calculations and has requested a special dispensation similar to what was provided to Washougal School District, and will continue to reach out to the legislature until the state addresses this miscalculation.

When you look at your property tax statement, you will likely see line items labeled something like "State School Levy - Part 1" and "State School Levy - Part 2." The key descriptor in those labels is the word 'State.' These taxes are collected by Washington State, not by our district. While these resources are intended to fund basic education, the funds are not evenly distributed among school districts (see question about regionalization).

Whether a local levy passes or fails, the State School Levy (Part 1 and Part 2) lines on your property tax bill do not change. Those funds are collected by the state and redistributed according to the Legislature's formula - the state levy increase does not result in a direct dollar-for-dollar increase for local school districts, because the money is redistributed through the state.

Woodland School District 404 Voted Levy:
The local levy supporting special programs beyond basic education, are fully dedicated to our Woodland students. These funds are allocated according to community priorities as outlined in the The Levy Stewardship Framework.

Woodland School District 404 Capital Bond:
Your property tax bill may also include a line item for the district's existing Capital Bond, approved by voters in 2012. These bond funds were used to construct Woodland High School and the new Yale Elementary School gymnasium, and are separate from both the local levy and state-collected taxes.