Property taxes and school funding
Property tax rates for school districts in Clark County are reflected in the table below. Battle Ground Public Schools has the lowest property tax rates of all K-12 Clark County districts.
2023 school property tax rates within Clark County
| School district | EP&O levy | Technology levy | Bond | Capital levy | Total local bond & levy* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Camas School District | $1.90 | $0.41 | $1.26 | N/A | $3.57 |
| Washougal School District | $1.95 | $0.20 | $1.49 | N/A | $3.64 |
| La Center School District | $1.31 | N/A | $1.74 | N/A | $3.05 |
| Evergreen Public Schools | $1.60 | $0.38 | $1.59 | N/A | $3.57 |
| Woodland Public Schools | $2.10 | N/A | $1.21 | N/A | $3.31 |
| Vancouver Public Schools | $1.79 | $0.29 | $1.14 | N/A | $3.22 |
| Hockinson School District | $1.65 | N/A | $1.42 | N/A | $3.07 |
| Green Mountain K-8 School District*** | $1.79 | N/A | N/A | $1.05 | $2.84 |
| Ridgefield Public Schools | $1.43 | N/A | $1.23 | N/A | $2.66 |
| Battle Ground Public Schools | $1.70 | N/A | $0.44** | N/A | $2.14 |
**BGPS current bond expires at the end of December 2023.
***Green Mountain serves K-8 students only.
Local funding: Levies and bonds
Battle Ground Public Schools is grateful to local voters and the community for supporting our schools. Your contributions allow us to connect every student to a positive future, employ local workers and construct and maintain buildings that serve the community.
In general levies are for learning (curricula, security and safety, activities, student support services, school improvements) and bonds are for buildings (new construction and replacement schools).
In previous years, local voters approved both a levy and a bond measure that affect property owners’ tax bills:
- Educational programs, maintenance and operations levy (approved in 2021 for four years: 2022-2025)
- Bond measure (approved in 2005 and will be retired at the end of 2023) built Daybreak and Tukes Valley schools, Chief Umtuch Middle and Amboy Middle and added classrooms to Captain Strong Primary and improved technology and security and safety across the district
History of Battle Ground Public Schools property tax rates
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Local BGPS levy rate | $4.13 | $3.82 | $3.65 | $3.31 | $3.45 | $1.50 | $2.50 | $2.32 | $1.96 | $1.70 |
| Local BGPS bond rate* | $0.85* | $0.86* | $0.81* | $0.73* | $0.67* | $0.61* | $0.58* | $0.56* | $0.52* | $0.44* |
| Total local BGPS levy & bond rate | $4.98 | $4.68 | $4.46 | $4.03 | $4.12 | $2.11 | $3.08 | $2.88 | $2.48 | $2.14 |
| State schools levy rate | $2.35 | $2.24 | $2.07 | $1.98 | $2.89 | $2.51 | $2.85 | $2.94 | $2.73 | $2.33 |
| Combined state and local tax rates | $7.33 | $6.92 | $6.53 | $6.01 | $7.01 | $4.61 | $5.94 | $5.82 | $5.21 | $4.47 |
*BGPS bond expires December 2023.
Synopsis of changes since 2018
After the State Supreme Court ruled that Washington was not fully funding basic education, the Legislature changed the funding system for public schools to increase revenue going to the state level. The Legislature passed Engrossed House Bill 2242, which increased the state schools property tax rate to fund basic education in Washington. The bill also capped the amount local school districts could collect through local levies. This became known as the levy swap.
2018 was a transition year. Tax rates temporarily increased for one year as the levy swap began. The state schools levy increased $0.91 per $1,000 of assessed value.
In 2019, the local Battle Ground Public Schools levy was capped at $1.50 per $1,000 of assessed value (a $1.95 drop from the 2018 rate) by the Washington state Legislature. The state levy decreased by 32 cents for one year.
For 2020, the Legislature raised the cap on local school district levies to $2.50 per $1,000 of assessed value. At this rate, Battle Ground Public Schools collected less than voters approved. For the calendar year 2020, the voter-approved levy amount would have been $34.93 million at a projected tax rate of $3.66 before the cap. With the cap, the district collected $29.5 million in 2020.
In 2021, local voters approved a levy for BGPS at a projected tax rate of $1.99 per $1,000 of assessed property value for all four years. Due to growth in the area, that rate has dropped since the levy was approved.
Voters approve a levy or bond amount; they do not approve a tax rate. Tax rates are projections calculated to provide property owners with an estimate of how much they will pay. The rate is affected by area growth. New residential and business developments mean that the levy or bond amount is divided among more people, and the rate drops.
Districts cannot collect more money than the voter-approved amount, regardless of individual property assessments.
Sample tax amounts
To calculate the amount that you’ll owe annually in school taxes, please use the following formula:
Assessed home value ÷ 1,000 x levy and/or bond rate
Assessed home values (which vary from market values) are determined by the Clark County Assessor’s Office.
Your home’s assessed value affects your overall tax bill.
For example, a house with BGPS’ boundaries that was assessed at $300,000 in 2014 would pay $2,199 in local and state school taxes that year.
That same house, assessed at $450,000 in 2023, would still pay $2,011 in local and state school taxes, even though the combined rate has fallen. The difference is the higher assessment.
Who can I contact with questions?
If you:
- Have questions about bonds and levies, contact the BGPS communications office at 360-885-5470 or by email.
- Property tax exemptions are available for qualifying senior citizens/disabled persons. Visit the Clark County Assessor’s Office website for more information.
- Have specific questions about your individual property taxes, contact the Clark County Assessor’s Office.
- Have questions about paying your property tax bill, contact the Clark County Treasurer’s Office.
Do higher property assessments mean that school districts collect more money?
According to the 2022 Clark County assessor’s report, higher assessment levels do not bring in any additional tax dollars to the taxing districts. The process of assessing property and setting the amount of money a tax district can collect are separate processes. The amount of taxes a district can collect is not dependent on assessed values. If a tax district is allowed to collect $10 million in tax revenue, the district will collect the exact same amount if assessed values increased by 5% or 50%. With a 5% increase in assessed values, the tax rate will be higher than if there is a 50% increase. The amount a tax district can collect is set, but the tax rate is variable based on the assessed values. Higher assessed values equal a lower tax rate.
11104 N.E. 149th Street,
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 200 
360-885-5300