SWSD replacement levy to be on February ballot
The Sedro-Woolley School Board approved a resolution Monday asking voters to maintain the Education Programs & Operations (EP&O) Levy.
Local school levies must be renewed by voters. The current levy, which expires in 2022, collected $2.50 per $1,000 of assessed property value. The district expects to collect approximately $11,259,099 in 2022, which is lower than the voter approved cap of $13,667,84.
The proposed levy will collect $11,919,069 in 2023, $12,515,023 in 2024, $13,140,774 in 2025 and $13,797,813 in 2026. These are the capped amounts or lids based on a 5% growth projection per year of the community’s assessed value.
Even though the district has a $2.50 rate, it won’t be able to collect more than the capped amounts approved in the board’s resolution. If the community’s assessed value increases, the $2.50 rate would actually be substantially less.
Washington state funds schools based on a “prototypical model”, representing the Legislature’s assumptions of what resources are required to provide students with a basic education.
State funding typically falls short in covering costs to enhance local schools with services requested by the community, leaving EP&O levies to bridge the gap in funding to provide for additional expenditures.
Basic education funding from the state doesn’t pay for additional costs of special education; school nurses, counselors and librarian; arts and music, school safety officers and safety support personnel; Highly Capable programs; special interventions for students who need additional help; basic office supplies such as paper and ink; student transportation for field trips, athletic travel and special programs transportation; and athletic and after-school extracurricular funding for coaches and advisors salaries that aren’t covered by the state or ASB funds.
Washington State law provides two tax benefit programs for senior citizens and individuals who are disabled: property tax exemptions and property tax deferrals. For more information on qualifications, contact the Skagit County Assessor’s Office at 360-416-1780.
As part of a new legislative mandate, the district is also seeking citizens interested in being appointed to a committee to write the for/against statements for the Skagit County Local Voters’ Pamphlet related to the district’s EP&O ballot measure.
Those interested should send their name, address, phone number and which position (for or against) they represent to: Kellie Cargile, 801 Trail Road, Sedro-Woolley, WA 98284 or via email at kcargile@swsd101.org by Nov. 15. The Board will take action on the appointments at its Nov. 22 regular board meeting.
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SWHS Winter Sports to begin Monday!
Foundations K applications due by the end of November
Applications are available at https://www.swsd.k12.wa.us/Domain/824.
Free Warm Coats
Thanksgiving Break
Highly Capable Program referrals
Referral forms for the district's Highly Capable Program for exceptionally advanced learners are being accepted for students currently in kindergarten through 11th grade. Forms are available in English, Spanish and Russian at: https://www.swsd.k12.wa.us/Page/3747 or you can fill out this Google survey: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1bkZ6YGVTQ8LT0zdvGzkHtJnlaLnhXY5iUdHfsbVveR8/edit?usp=drive_web.
Forms for grades K-6 can be mailed to Hi-Cap Coordinator, Central Elementary, 601 Talcott St., Sedro-Woolley, WA 98284; forms for grades 7–12 can be mailed to: Principal Mischelle Darragh, 23953 Prairie Road, Sedro-Woolley, WA 98284. Forms for all grade levels are due by December 10, 2021. K-6 forms can also be emailed to ejenkins@swsd101.org; forms for all grades 7–11 can be emailed to mdarragh@swsd101.org.
Assessments are scheduled to begin in January/February 2022. Students meeting the screening criteria will be assessed by multiple measures to determine eligibility for program services.
The Multi-Disciplinary Selection Committee (MSC) screens all referrals and makes the final decision for placement in the Highly Capable Program.
Qualification letters will go out after spring break for the 2022-23 school year.
For additional information, please call or e-mail Principal Mischelle Darragh, Highly Capable Program Administrator, mdarragh@swsd101.org or by phone at 360-855-3540 or contact the Sedro-Woolley District Office at 360-855-3500.
COVID-19 Information
The district nursing staff is in constant communication with the Skagit County Public Health regarding COVID-19 cases in our schools. Decisions on who needs to quarantine is made by the county in coordination with the district.
The school principal and/or district leaders will communicate directly with impacted families or staff members of confirmed COVID-19 cases or those who are confirmed close contacts. As part of this process, the district will communicate about length of quarantine and how to shift to remote learning.
If you do not receive such a notification, it means that your student has not been identified as a close contact and does not need to quarantine.
The health, safety, and well-being of our school community remains our top priority. We are following sound protocols aligned with Skagit Public Health guidance to ensure we are doing everything we can to protect the health or our school community. We also want to take this opportunity to remind everyone of the importance of wearing masks, physically distancing from others, and regularly washing your hands.
The primary symptoms of COVID-19 are:
• Fever (defined as subjective or 100.4°F or higher)
• Cough
• Loss of sense of taste and/or smell
• Shortness of breath
• Fatigue
• Headache
• Muscle or body aches
• Sore throat
• Congestion or runny nose
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea (defined as two or more loose stools in 24 hours)
If your child or anyone in your household develop(s) any of the above symptoms, all unvaccinated household members should stay home, contact a provider for medical evaluation and testing, and notify childcare/school/work/etc. Additionally, if you're awaiting test results for COVID-19, do not come to school until you have received confirmation of a negative test. Staying home when experiencing symptoms also helps our schools' close contacts and quarantine numbers. Following these everyday preventative actions helps reduce the spread of COVID-19 and other communicable diseases.
We sincerely appreciate all your help and support as we work together to mitigate risks and ensure the learning process continues in our school community.
For more information about COVID-19 protocols in the district, including the district dashboard, please visit our COVID-19 Information website.
Email: covidquestions@swsdonline.com
Phone: (360) 855-3841
Community Prevention and Wellness Initiative (CPWI) Community Survey 2021
This 10-15 minute survey is completely anonymous.
ONLINE SURVEY ENGLISH
Box Tops are now digital
SWSD employees support United Way
United Way programs supports all of our communities in Skagit County by feeding food insecure families, helping house homeless youth, helping new mothers and their babies, and much more.
A single investment in United Way of Skagit County is an investment in our Skagit County youth.
SWHS Athletics Ticket Information
Tickets can now be reserved at: https://swhscubsden.com/event-tickets
Attendees must reserve tickets so the high school can follow capacity restrictions for events at SWHS. Also, a helpful reminder that masks must be worn by all spectators for indoor events and are REQUIRED for outdoor events that exceed a 500 person capacity.
Reminder: All elementary and middle school students must be accompanied by an adult at all high school events. Please do not drop off children at the games unchaperoned. Please also remind students they should follow the same behavior codes as school.
COVID-19 Safety Measures
All students who choose to learn in-person are required to wear face coverings while indoors to protect the health and safety of our staff and students. We are also implementing enhanced personal hygiene and a degree of physical distancing among students to the extent possible.
Sedro-Woolley School District is following the safety measures required by the Department of Health in the K-12 COVID-19 Requirements.
Please note, there is not a COVID-19 vaccination requirement for students currently in Washington state. We would encourage those 12 and older to talk to their health-care providers for vaccination recommendations.
