School Tax Rates Drop

Local school tax rates see double digit drop in 2023

Local school tax rates dropped 12 percent from this time last year, according to the Walla Walla County Assessor's office. Local bond tax rates fell to an historic low of 91 cents per thousand assessed, 12 cents less than last year and 32 cents lower than what was advertised when the bond passed in 2018.

The remaining educational tax rates, consisting of the district's Education Programs and Operations Levy and the two state taxes collected for Olympia that fund schools statewide, have also decreased double digits, shaving off 88 cents per thousand from last year. Overall local and state school taxes dropped from $6.36 per $1000 in 2022 to $5.61 per thousand in 2023.

"Walla Walla Public Schools maintains one of the lowest overall school tax rates in the region," said Superintendent Dr. Wade Smith. "Our district's strong underlying credit rating, conservative fiscal approach, and refunding of excess bond dollars, is permitting us to keep rates as low as possible for our taxpayers."