Citizens for Centralia Schools will host an initial meeting at The Juice Box to discuss the Centralia School District’s upcoming levy on the ballot for February’s special election.
The meeting is scheduled for Monday, Nov. 17, at 5 p.m. and will last about 90 minutes. The Juice Box is located at 216 S. Tower Ave. in Centralia.
Top of the order is choosing a campaign strategy to encourage voters to support the replacement of the district’s current levy, which ends in 2026.
In February 2024, the Centralia School District passed an educational programs and operations levy intended to raise $6,200,000 for the district in 2025 and 2026.
The success came after the district failed to pass levies in February 2023 and April 2023. Both levies proposed a tax rate of $1.50 per $1,000 of a homeowner’s assessed property value.
According to previous reporting from The Chronicle, the back-to-back failures forced the district to make $4.2 million in cuts to the 2023-24 budget.
In 2024, the district lowered the proposed tax rate to $1.15 per $1,000 of assessed value — and succeeded in the February election.
Now the district hopes to continue its progress, starting with the campaign meeting on Nov. 17.
“Anyone who is interested in helping with the campaign in support of the levy is welcome to attend the meeting,” said Neal Kirby, former Edison Elementary School principal, school board director, and state representative.
Kirby said School Board Chair Tim Browning and Superintendent Dr. Lisa Grant will both be present to explain the levy and services it will provide students if successful.
According to Kirby, campaign activities need to finish by Jan. 22 when ballots start to go out.
Election day is Feb. 10.
For more information about the meeting and campaign, email citizensforcentraliaschools@gmail.com.
