March 2009 School Bond

Election update:  As of 9:15 p.m. Tuesday, March 10, King County election results show that the Snoqualmie Valley School Bond Proposition #1 is passing by a margin of 65.82% YES.   Currently, 5328 voters have voted yes (65.82%) while 2767 have voted no (34.18%). This information is available on the King County Elections website at: http://www.kingcounty.gov/elections.  Additional ballots postmarked March 10 will continue to be reported each afternoon until the election is certified on March 25, 2009. We will continue to update this website, as King County continues to update these numbers.

Thanks to all who took the time to vote on this bond.

BOND INFORMATION:

A $27.5 million school bond on the March 10, 2009 ballot will address the most critical needs of Snoqualmie Valley schools.

Press Release (3/2/09)

Bond Mailer (mailed to residents 2/6/09)

2009 Bond Commonly Asked Questions (updated 2/2/09)

Bond Flyer (updated 1/29/09)

The majority of this proposition ($22.1 million) will provide much-needed repairs and upgrades to maintain the integrity of school buildings/systems and ensure safety to students throughout the district. The remainder ($5.4 million) will help alleviate overcrowding at Mount Si High School by adding six double-modular units (12 classrooms) to the high school campus where its tennis courts are currently based...and will provide funding to relocate the courts to an adjacent practice field. Because of the high school's proximity on a flood plain, this is the only suitable spot to place portables. The School Board also acknowledged the significant impact that elimination of tennis courts would impose on the physical education programming for high school students.

Costs of this Bond: This $27.5 million bond will have an estimated cost to property taxes of $.35/per $1000 of assessed valuation. The good news is that an old school bond (of $.54 per 1000) retired in 2008. If this bond passes, the tax rate for school bonds will be LESS in 2010 than they were in 2008. (Collections for this 20-year bond would begin in 2010 and continue through 2029.)

Election Validation: School bonds require a voter approval rating 60%-plus-one "super-majority" to pass. In addition, a bond election must have a total voter turn-out that equals 40 percent of the amount of voters who cast ballots in the most recent General Election for validation.  Since our school district had an 84% voter turn-out response in November's election, this means approximately 7,254 registered voters will need to participate in the March 10 elections for validation.  And of those, 4,353 people will need to vote yes to meet the 60% supermajority requirement for bond approval.  Ballots for this mail-in only election must be postmarked on or before March 10 or voters can deposit their ballots in a King County Election dropbox.  There is a dropbox at the Fall City Public Library. 

A Different Approach:  This bond proposal looks much different than the past three near-miss bond attempts in 2007 and 2008. Down from $189.6 million, this bond prioritizes only the "bare necessities" -- critical repairs and relief to high school over-crowding -- at a significantly lower cost that is sensitive to our current reality:

• voter apprehension (Our past three bonds failed to garner 60% voter approval)
• slowed enrollment growth rate in our district (Enrollment is growing at 1.9%, down from 6.5 -7%.)
• a slow-down in local new housing construction (See related articles: Snoqualmie facing slower buildout, Quadrant acknowledges build out slowdown)
• the national recession
• uncertainty around the impact of Washington State's deficit on education funding

Taking care of critical needs first. . . while Long-term planning continues:  The School Board's sense of urgency to address the district's most immediate needs is reflected in this school bond. Accordingly, at a significantly reduced cost, this bond makes the most of current facilities in terms of preservation, cost efficiency, utilization of space and minimal disruption to students. The Board also expressed a strong commitment to prioritize a process that will define the most appropriate long-term direction for our schools with community involvement. The fact remains that the Snoqualmie Valley School District is still growing and more schools will be needed. The slowed rate of growth this year allows a bit more time to thoroughly research and explore the feasibility of a wide range of options... and the extra time provides the flexibility to pursue separate bonds in the future as needed. There is hope that in the next 6-8 months there may be more clarity around "unknown" economic factors impact our district and families. Click here for the Long-term Planning Process, as outlined at the January 22, 2009 School Board meeting.

Discussions will continue regarding long-term planning since the current bond serves to provide immediate relief and a bit of time to make the most appropriate decision moving forward for our students, schools and community.

Following the last bond, the District created a back-up plan: A Plan to Address Facilities Needs in the Absence of Bond or Capital Levy Funds.  This is clearly a worse-case scenario - in the event of future bonds not passing.  It is a plan we hope will never be implemented, but feel is prudent to share.

 

8001 Silva Ave SE, P.O. Box 400, Snoqualmie, WA 98065 | Phone: (425) 831-8000 | Fax: (425) 831-8040 | District Home | Contact Us
The Snoqualmie Valley School District complies with all federal and state statutes and regulations and does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, religion, color, national origin, honorably discharged veteran or military status, sexual orientation including gender expression or identity, the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability. This holds true for all district employment and student opportunities. Inquiries regarding compliance and/or grievance procedures may be directed to the school district's Title IX/RCW 28A.640 Officer and Section 504/ADA Coordinator, Nancy Meeks, P.O. Box 400, Snoqualmie, WA 98065, phone 425-831-8015.