The Federal Way School Board voted unanimously on Nov. 18 to approve a levy renewal for the special election ballot in February 2026.
The current Educational Programs and Operations (EP&O) Levy is set to expire in December 2026, and funds about 10 percent of the school district’s budget.
It has been continuously approved by voters since 1980, according to Federal Way Public Schools.
This levy bridges the funding gap between what the state provides and what is actually needed to operate a school district.
“The Educational Programs and Operations Levy directly funds the academic, enrichment, extracurricular programs, and dedicated teaching and support staff our students rely on,” Dr. Jennifer Jones, FWPS Board President, said in a press release. “We are grateful for our community’s long-standing support and remain committed to investing these resources responsibly to provide every student with meaningful learning and enrichment opportunities.”
The district shared that the EP&O Levy will fund academic programs, instructional and support staff, and daily operational costs.
On the Feb. 10 ballot, voters will have the opportunity to vote on the levy, which will include a fixed dollar amount rather than a tax rate.
As one example, the district’s voters are being asked to consider a fixed dollar amount, not a tax rate. This means that “the total amount collected will not increase beyond what voters approve on February 10, even if property values rise.”
Instead, “when property values increase, the estimated tax rate adjusts downward to ensure the district collects only the amount authorized by voters.”
Budget context
2025 has included several fights for funding for local school districts.
In March, local union members from the Federal Way Education Association (FWEA) demonstrated to bring attention to the impact federal and state cuts to education funding could have on their staff and students.
FWEA President James Brown told the Mirror in an email this week that “the EP&O levy is important to our students, families and community, and therefore important to the 1,700-plus FWEA members that spend each and every day working for Federal Way Public Schools. The EP&O levy funds essential programs, services and staff in support of our students — essentials that can’t be funded through what is provided from state and federal sources.”
Brown added that “thankfully, the Federal Way community has approved the EP&O levy since the 1980s,” and said that “our FWEA members will stand up in support of this levy for the same reasons they stood up last spring — our students and families deserve fully funded and well-resourced schools.”
In July, the Trump administration froze $137 million of funding for Washington schools, but this was released later that month after pressure from Washington Democratic Congress members.
As just one example of the need for these funds, the district shared that the state funds only four security staff total for the 21,500 students served by FWPS, and the levy pays for 15 more. Similarly, the state pays for 12 technology staff and the levy funds 9 more.
The levy also funds middle and high school athletic teams and related staff, transportation and supervision costs as well as the operations of Federal Way Memorial Field.
More budget items supported by the levy funds include “rigorous coursework like Advanced Placement, Cambridge, and IP, STEM classes, Career and Technical Education and College and Career Readiness classes” and “instructional and support staff, including teachers, paraeducators, substitutes, safety and security staff, counselors, college and career specialists, special education professionals, custodial staff, and more” and “daily operational costs for transportation, nutrition services, facility maintenance, and utility costs.”
Voters can learn more about the levy at www.fwps.org/levy2026.
