Tribe and school funding

Counting exemptions, the Swinomish Tribe will collect $1,926,535 in taxes from the 950 homeowners in Shelter Bay and Pull & Be Damned during 2018. The levy rate is 13.0988 per thousand, up from 12.3923 in 2017. The school levy went from $2,521,789 in 2017 to $2,754,295 in 2018.

The schools should receive a contribution of $789,577 to pay their fair share for educating the kids in Shelter Bay and Pull & Be Damned. But, the schools are receiving only $570,000. The remaining $219,577 must be funded by the 2,470 taxpayers of the La Conner school district. The Swinomish do not contribute to the $1,...