[via The Olympian] A petition is circulating for a new ordinance that would tax Olympia’s wealthiest households to generate college tuition money for all local high school graduates.
Backed by a volunteer group called Opportunity for Olympia, the proposal calls for creating a 1.5 percent tax on household income in excess of $200,000. Organizers estimate about 750 households in Olympia city limits would be subject to the tax, which would raise about $2.5 million a year.
The petition needs 4,702 valid signatures by June 16 to qualify for the November general election ballot. If the law passes, every public high school graduate and GED recipient living inside Olympia’s boundaries would be eligible for money to pay for the first year of tuition at any community college, or an equivalent amount can be applied to tuition at any public university in Washington.
The Seattle-based Economic Opportunity Institute has provided the blueprint for Opportunity for Olympia.
More To Read
Educational Opportunity
December 15, 2022
2023 Legislative Agenda
By strengthening the core pillars of our economy – including child care, health care, educational opportunity, economic security, and our public revenue system – we can diminish economic, racial, and gender inequity.
Educational Opportunity
October 20, 2022
Biden’s Student Loan Forgiveness is A Necessary Step in the Right Direction
Student loan forgiveness will provide immediate psychological, and material benefits for borrowers and their communities.
Educational Opportunity
August 19, 2022
The Child Care Emotional Roller Coaster
Decades of underfunding has left the child care sector on the brink of collapse