EVERETT — Residents in the Everett School District are being asked to vote on a proposed levy and capital bond in the April special election.
Two measures appear on the ballot. Proposition 1 asks voters to approve a levy that would raise $89.6 million mostly to fund technology and security issues at many schools. Proposition 2 asks voters to allow the district to issue bonds to raise $149.7 million for numerous school construction and upgrade projects.
The six-year levy would replace an expiring technology levy and needs a simple majority to pass. The bond measure needs a supermajority vote of 60 percent in favor in order to pass, and would be paid off over 20 years.
Everett Public Schools tried in 2014 to get a $259 million bond measure passed twice, but came up short in both special elections.
If the bond and levy measures pass this year, the property tax burden from the school district will rise an estimated 68 cents to $5.86 per $1,000 of assessed valuation. That’s still lower than the $5.98 rate in 2014.
The increase of 68 cents per $1,000 valuation amounts to an additional $163.20 per year in property taxes on a typical $240,000 home in Everett. The total tax burden imposed by the district, $5.86 per $1,000, would come to $1,406.40 per year.
The ballot measures authorize the district to raise a fixed amount of money, and actual tax rates vary with fluctuations in property values.
The reasons for the 2014 failure could be attributed to a variety of issues, but a sour economy and a perceived lack of credibility surrounding the construction of the district’s Community Resource Center for its new offices were major sticking points.
The district spent the past two years reaching out to the community through online surveys and public events, and initially the school board shied away from attempting a second bond measure, said Caroline Mason, the board vice president and the co-chairman of the bond campaign.
“The board was not sure about a bond and whether the community would support something like that, until we had the community show up in the board room and tell us, ‘Don’t make us wait,’ ” Mason said.
The school board settled on a bond measure that was about $110 million less than the measure that failed in 2014, but still contains a number of priority projects, including some deferred maintenance and upgrades that were on the ballot two years ago.
“That was primarily because we had to cut $17 million out of the budget in the lean years,” Mason said.
The bond would supply money to build a new elementary school in the district’s crowded south end, buy land for another south end school, renovate North Middle School and Woodside Elementary, replace the fields at Everett High School and the roof at Gateway Middle, update the heating and air conditioning at eight schools, upgrade technology and telephone systems throughout the district, and buy 14 portable classrooms to accommodate growth at Cascade and Henry M. Jackson high schools.
The levy would pay for a variety of safety and security upgrades, computer technology for students and teachers, Wi-Fi equipment and infrastructure for school buildings, upgraded science and technology labs, plus 10 more portables to relieve overcrowding.
Portables are included on both ballot measures to ensure the district will be able to still get some even if the bond doesn’t get supermajority support, district spokeswoman Mary Waggoner said.
“We’re going to need some right away and the levy has the highest chance of passage,” Waggoner said.
Rodman Reynolds, a district parent who is one of the leaders of the Everett School Board Project, a group focused on reforming the district and school board, said he’s leaning toward supporting the bond this time.
That’s because he thinks the board listened to the community and was coming back with a smaller package to fund only more urgently needed items.
“Last time they were asking for 10 years’ worth of money. Once they approved it they could turn off their ears,” Reynolds said.
Now, he said, “this is like a short-term credit plan. That way they can rebuild trust. It kind of keeps them on a short leash.
“Basically I think it’s the best we’re going to get from them,” Reynolds added.
Ballots were mailed out last week. Voters must return them postmarked by April 26 in order for the votes to be counted.
Chris Winters: 425-374-4165; cwinters@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @Chris_At_Herald.
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