Frequently Asked Questions

State funds to local school districts are limited. Some costs are not recognized, and school districts must provide local resources via levies and bonds for the majority of facilities projects, to bridge staffing and curriculum gaps and to provide educational technology that is up to date.

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

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, please contact the Snohomish County Assessor’s Office for more information.

The tax rate is dependent on the value of all homes and businesses in the district. As the district is expected to grow with more taxpayers sharing the cost of the levies, the individual rates will go down. Tax collections for schools are different from many other government funding measures which charge by rate, not a capped amount.This means, if assessed values of properties change, taxes due remain the same, but the tax rate would change.

If approved by voters, the renewal of the Educational Programs and Operations Levy will average $1.40 per $1,000 of assessed property value. This will generate approximately: 

• $5.8 million in 2027
• $6.3 million in 2028
• $6.7 million in 2029
• $7.2 million in 2030 

If approved by voters, the renewal of the Technology Capital Levy will average $1.30 per $1,000 of assessed property value. This will generate approximately:

• $5.5 million in 2027
• $5.9 million in 2028
• $6.3 million in 2029
• $6.7 million in 2030

Districts collect the dollar amount associated with the levy and the county assessor translates that into the necessary rate. In order to capture some of the growth in Granite Falls, we are assuming a conservative 5% annual increase in total property value for the four years.  Growth rates are addressed in a question below. 

You can find your tax rates by clicking this link.  *Sometimes this program loads slowly* 

Once you are on the page follow the steps below:

1. Click on "Look at my Individual Tax Estimates" 
2.  Click on the tax year you would like to research
3. Enter your Parcel Number. If you don't know your Parcel Number, click on the box below to find out. Make sure to follow their instructions when entering your home address. 
4. The data should load in the boxes on the page. 
5.  Granite Falls School District line items are listed as SCH332GFL

For 2025, you will see that the three line items for the school district include the bond and two levies. These total to $2.83. 

Example of 2025 Tax Bill from Snohomish County website:

To find your 2026 tax rates click this link and follow the directions in the question above. 

You will find that in 2025 the tax rate for the bond was $1.28 and in 2026 it drops to $0.127 due to Granite Falls High School bond being paid off. Because of the levy cycle, this creates a year with significantly lower tax rates than in 2025 and 2027 (projected). 

As property values increase over time, the result is that the tax rate will decrease. With Granite Falls growing over the next few years, the taxes will be shared. The bond also drops to $0.127 in 2026, which lowers the tax rate for that year. The replacement levies and the reduced bond rate restore tax rates to the 2025 levels. Our district took into careful consideration when creating these propositions to match the rates in which the community has been contributing to for the last 10+ years while likely continuing to see the rate declining over time. 

In the state of Washington, for a bond to pass it would have to get 60% supermajority. We are uncertain how property growth will translate into student growth for Granite Falls in the future. We are working with a demographics company to forecast this growth for future planning. The district chose to run a bigger Tech and Capital Projects levy to bridge the gap in our tax rates rather than run a long term bond. Our commitment has always been to keep total tax rates the same or less than those in 2025. 

In 2017 the total value of property in Granite Falls was $1,441,110,408

In 2026 the total value of property in Granite Falls is $3,879,773,245

This is a 169% increase over 10 years or 17% average increase per year. This increase in both number of properties and value of properties will continue to drive tax rates lower. 

Source to this information can be found here.

2025 Total Tax Rates:

Source for 2026 Tax Rates linked here

2026 Total Tax Rates:

Source for 2026 Tax Rates linked here

2027 Estimated Total Tax Rates:

If the levies do not pass, the district will not have the funding needed to continue important student programs such as band, athletics, the arts, and clubs, student and classroom supports, and safety and technology services. These costs are not covered by the state, so the district would have to reduce its budget by 11% and also stop technology purchases. Because labor makes up nearly 90% of the cost to run school districts, reductions will likely be in the form of labor. This will impact the overall student success and  the community of Granite Falls.

Yes! Within Snohomish County, 11 other school districts have levies and bonds on the ballot. To learn more, click this link. 

More than half of the school districts in Washington State are running levies and bonds during this election.

Anytime between now and February 10, 2026. 

You can drop off your ballot at the Granite Falls Library located at 815 E Galena Street Granite Falls, WA 98252.

Reach out to communications@gfalls.wednet.edu to learn more or visit the Snohomish County Assessor website, linked here. 

Follow this link to our Financial Reports page.