Bond & Levy Information

• Cheney Public Schools Master Facility Plan - 8.2023
• Facility Planning Committee Fact Sheet 
• Facility Planning Committee Video (The Survey Is Now Closed) 

SCOUT Spokane County Map

Spokane County Assessor

West Plains Study Area

HVAC Renovations Video Explanation

Kitchen Renovations Video Explanation

New Elementary School and Land Video Explanation

The easiest way to remember the difference between a bond and a levy is: Bonds are for building and levies are for learning. (The statement “levies are for learning” primarily refers to enrichment levies.)  Bonds and levies provide schools with funds that must be used for specific purposes.

A levy is a local property tax passed by the voters of a school district that generates revenue to fund programs and services that the state does not pay for as part of “basic education.” Because the funding provided by the state does not cover the actual costs to operate a school district, districts often use levy funds to hire additional staff, or for student programming and services that are underfunded or not funded by the state. Some of the many things that levies help to fund may include: extracurricular activities, special education, transportation, food service, operations, grounds and maintenance, preschool, and other activities. There are three main types of levies: enrichment, capital, and transportation levies, although this is not a complete list.

Enrichment levies, also known as Educational Programs and Operations (EP&O) levies and Maintenance and Operations (M&O) levies, allow a school district to provide things like teachers, support staff, supplies and materials, or services that the state only partially funds. Funding provided by the state does not fully cover the actual costs to operate a school district, so enrichment levies fill in the gap.

Capital levies (which includes tech levies) to fund things like modern technology, enhanced building security, and smaller renovation projects. Capital levies can be approved for up to six years.

NOTE: In simple terms, a replacement levy is the renewal of an existing enrichment, capital, or transportation levy that is about to expire. Typically, if a district is asking for a replacement levy to be approved by voters, it means that it is simply the continuation of an existing tax.

A bond is a long-term investment that authorizes the district to purchase property for schools, construct new schools, or modernize existing schools. Bonds are sold to investors who are repaid with interest over time from property tax collections, generally between 12-20 years.

To assess Cheney Public Schools’ facilities needs, the district utilized parents and key stakeholders from each of the three distinct communities—Airway Heights, Cheney, and West Plains—to form the Long-Range Facilities Planning Committee. This committee collaborated for more than six months to determine the facilities needs of the district. Through the research and analysis of this community-based effort, the committee determined the district facility needs are as follows: one elementary school in Airway Heights, land for a second elementary school, and campus upgrades. The committee’s framework was presented to the school board in June 2023, and it was unanimously approved. 

If you are a senior citizen and/or disabled, you may be eligible for an exemption. The exemption applies to the primary residence and land on which it sits, up to one acre. Five acres are allowed if zoning permits it.

This program is administered by the Spokane County Assessor's Office. For application and further information, call 509-477-3698.

Both bonds and levies require voter approval, but in Washington bonds require a higher majority of voter approval than levies.

Bonds require a supermajority to pass (60%). 
Levies require a simple majority to pass (50% + 1).

Community members who reside within the Cheney Public Schools district boundaries are projected to pay the following per $1,000 of assessed home value in 2024: 

Educational Operations & Programs Levy: $1.30

Existing School Bonds: $1.37

Capital Tech Levy: $0.07

In 2023, district community members paid:

Educational Operations & Programs Levy: $1.31

Existing School Bonds: $1.42

Capital Tech Levy: $0.08

Bond Fact Sheet