Seattle School District members meeting at Madison Middle School yesterday presented to the public a $448.1 million operations levy and two versions of a capital projects levy, one costing $240 million and the other $30 million more.

The school district predicted the average homeowner—or someone who owns a $375,700 home—would pay $745 in annual property taxes to support these levies and the existing Building Excellence III levy. The same homeowner would pay an estimated $779 annually by 2013.

Both of these proposed levies will go to a vote Feb. 9.

Among the two levies, the operations levy supports about a quarter of the district’s basic budget. This levy covers essentials like textbooks, bus transportation, student activities and instructional assistants.

“The operations levy is a very important part of how schools are run and paid for,” said Steve Sundquist, the School Board Director representing West Seattle.

The capital projects levy, known officially as Buildings, Technology and Academics III (BTA III) would replace BTA II, which runs through 2010 and totaled $178 million.

Whether the public will support the $60 million increase from BTA II to the proposed BTA III is something the school district considered when planning the levy. The district’s need and the taxpayers need are, Sundquist said, a “balancing act.”

A majority of what the district proposes involves buildings; about 53 percent of the $240 million budget is devoted to renovations, maintenance and upgrades. The school district highlighted the need to take care of backlogged maintenance and repair old buildings, citing that more than one half the district’s buildings were constructed prior to 1960.

Much of the money allocated for the academic and technology portions of the BTA III levy would be dispersed throughout the district, although $19 million would go toward repairing tracks and fields throughout the district.

Chris Jackins, a member of Seattle Committee to Save Schools and one of the few citizens to attend the meeting, argued against this policy. Rather than fund replacing the synthetic turf and resurface the tracks, he proposed the district use the money to repeal its pay-to-play sports policy under which athletes must pay money to schools if they want to play for a team.

If passed, the proposed BTA III levy marks dollars for several local elementary schools. Arbor Heights elementary school would receive money for water line replacement. Lafayette Elementary School would have both sprinkler systems installed and heating, cooling and ventilation systems upgraded.

Gatewood Elementary School would get seismic upgrades and, if the School Board chooses the $270 million proposal, some wall repairs.

The school district plans to resolve the $240 million versus $270 million question before Nov. 4, when members of the district plan to formerly announce the plan to the public. After, district employees plan to further discuss the levies when they host a public hearing Nov. 12.

The planned Feb. 9 2010 special election for these levies requires a simple majority, which means one vote more than 50 percent would guarantee the passage or failure of each levy.