District Funding and Expenditures

The General Fund accounts for the day-to-day operations of the District. Included are all the normal and recurring financial activities that are not accounted for in other funds. Expenditures include salary and benefit costs and non-salary costs such as supplies, materials, books and instructional materials, utilities, insurance, purchased services/contracts and equipment, which is called MSOC (Materials Supplies and Operating Costs). Revenue for the General Fund includes local and state taxes, federal grants, and other monies.

(Click on pie charts above to enlarge them)

The two different expenditure charts show District expenditures by category and  activity.

The category pie chart for expenditures shows all the different expenditures in the District be it staff, benefits, utilities, services, supplies, and capital outlays.  

The activity pie chart shows expenditures by the function of the expenditure, be it teaching, teaching support, building administration, district administration, and other support. 

Levies 

A voter-approved Educational Programs & Operations Levy (EP&O) is put before Mercer Island voters on a four-year cycle and a voter-approved Capital and Technology Levy (Cap/Tech) is put before Mercer Island voters on a six-year cycle.

The EP&O Levy and the Cap/Tech Levy make up 26% of MISD's funding and provide for: 

• Students: Funding the 7-period day at MIHS, Music, Drama, Electives, Art, Special Education and other enrichment programs. 
• Staff: Employing the necessary number of teachers, support staff, nurses, and counselors, professional development, and insurance not funded but required by the state. 
• Operations: Covering day-to-day costs, transportation, class size reduction, and building maintenance of four community elementary schools, one middle school and one high school. 
• Materials: Purchasing textbooks, instructional materials, and technology. 

The District has used Cap/Tech levy dollars to complete a number of projects over the years. Cap/Tech dollars available for facilities can accomplish small projects such as boiler replacements, roofs, secure vestibules, but they are not enough to provide a significant renovation or replacement of a building. 

Levies are a total amount to be collected, not a tax rate. MISD cannot collect more than the total amount levied.

Visit our levies page to learn more about the EP&O and Cap/Tech levies. 

Bonds

Because Washington State does not provide capital funding for building projects, MISD can run school bonds that are used for capital projects, including constructing new schools, renovating existing schools and providing smaller, annual updates to all schools (new roofs, updated paint, fencing, parking lot resurfacing, new windows, new playgrounds, new sports facilities, etc.). If bonds pass, the state contributes some matching funds.

Bonds are like a home loan: MISD is loaned the total amount through property taxes and pays it off over 20 years while completing each bond project.

Bond require a super majority of 60% to pass. 

MISD ran a bond in April 2025 that received 56.9% percent of the vote which did not pass. 

Learn more about bonds on our bond page.

Mercer Island Schools District's enrollment, like much of the country, saw declines after the COVID-19 pandemic. Enrollment numbers have stabilized and the district projects the stabilization to continue.

For the 2025-26 school year, MISD has a full-time equivalent enrollment of 3,821 students.

MISD looks at projected birth rates as it plans for enrollment in future years, as well as trends of families moving to and from Spokane.