PORT ANGELES — Port Angeles School District tax levy ballots, scheduled to be mailed to voters on Wednesday, will feature a series of innovations.

For the first time, the letter-sized paper ballots will use an optical scan process instead of the old punchcards and infamous “chads.”

Voters will be asked to mark their ballots with blue or black ink, then mail in or return the ballots by Feb. 8.

The novelty of the new optical scan ballots — and the ease of using them instead of the punchcard variety — might boost the turnout in the Port Angeles School District.

It’s an election in which not one, but two, tax levy proposals are on the ballot

One asks voters to continue the district’s maintenance and operations levy to fill the gap between state funding and actual expenses.

The second, a capital projects technology levy, asks electors to purchase computers, software and training to help students and their teachers better prepare for the 21st century.

Both levies require a 60 percent “supermajority” approval of voters participating in the election.

Larger M&O levy

The larger maintenance and operations — or M&O — levy is designed to replace the one that expires this year.

If approved, it would collect a total of $3,691,197 over four years and cover approximately 15 percent of the school district’s budget.

District officials say the levy features a tax rate that would collect 10 cents more for every $1,000 of assessed valuation, reflecting inflation and rising costs since the last levy was approved in 2003.

There’s another reason, too.

“The purpose for the increase in the rate of the levy is to guard against another round of state budget cuts,” said Gary Cohn, school district superintendent.

The 2005 state budget has a $1.8 billion shortfall.

School Board member Jessica Schreiber said that even if the state doesn’t make big education cuts in the coming years, the M&O levy will allow the board to refund programs that were cut in previous budget cycles.

“It gives us a little bit of wiggle room — in a best-case scenario — of reinstating some of the deeper cuts we’ve had to make,” she said.

If approved, the four-year M&O levy would be calculated at a maximum $2.98 per $1,000 of assessed valuation.

It would raise $6,225,228 in 2006, $6,536,071 in 2007, $6,862,456 in 2008, and $7,205,161 in 2009.

Tech levy

For the first time in its history, the school district is asking voters to approve a capital projects technology levy at a maximum rate of 40 cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation.

The levy, Cohn said, would update and install technology equipment — including 500 new computers at all district schools, from elementary to high school — and train staff to use and teach that equipment.

“Technology is a huge component of teaching now,” Schreiber said.

“You can’t provide a valuable education today without it.”

School Board member Jeff Hinds said the capital levy would assure students of equal and easy access to computers.

And Cohn said “this technology levy is needed to give our kids what they need to be successful.”