Residents in the Kent School District in November will vote on a $252 million bond issue identical to the one that narrowly failed in April.
The five-member Kent School Board voted unanimously on June 8 to put the measure on the Nov. 8 ballot.
If approved, the bond measure would fund projects throughout the district, including the construction of a new Covington Elementary School, a new elementary school in the Kent Valley and 20 additional classrooms at various schools.
In April, the referendum, which required a 60-percent-plus-one-vote for approval, drew 59 percent in favor (13,719 votes) and 41 percent against (9,506 votes) the measure.
“I’m embarrassed that we are coming back and doing it all over again,” board member Russ Hanscom said at the June 8 board meeting. “I really hope the public sentiment is out there this time because it all comes out to turnout.”
Turnout for the April election in King County was 32 percent.
Hanscom said he expects November’s turnout to be higher since it is a presidential election.
“The turnout will be there,” he said. “I guess the message is the most important thing so that we don’t get lost in that whole madness.”
When the school board voted to put the measure on the April ballot, it was presented five options for the bond issue, ranging from $180 million to $252 million, and opted to go for the largest amount, encompassing the most projects.
District officials and the school board decided to ask for the same amount in November because the needs haven’t changed, district spokesman Chris Loftis said.
“Everything on this list we need,” he said.
Each school in the district would benefit from the bond issue.
The district outlined eight major projects totaling about $169 million, which would be completed if the bond issue passes.
Those projects include:
• $46 million each for the construction of the new Covington Elementary and a new elementary school in the Kent Valley
• $32.5 million for multipurpose rooms at Cedar Valley, Fairwood, Grass Lake, Lake Youngs, Merdian, Park Orchard, Pine Tree, Springbrook and Soos Creek elementary schools
• $16.8 million for 20 new classrooms at various schools yet to be determined
• $12.7 million for fields, tracks and courts at the district’s six middle schools
• $9 million for smartboard replacements
• $4.8 million for grass fields and tennis courts at the district’s four traditional high schools
• $1.2 million for transportation department parking
The bond referendum would also generate $38.2 million for maintenance and operations infrastructure projects, including roofing projects throughout the district and heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) systems at Daniel and Sunrise elementary schools.
An additional $25.9 million would fund projects submitted by schools, including parking lot upgrades at several schools; a remodel of the gym and Preforming Arts Center foyer, D-Wing and art department at Kentridge High School; replacing the windows in the main building at Kent-Meridian High School; and remodeling the Performing Arts Center at Kentwood High School.
“Overcrowding is a huge issue,” Loftis said. “The primary focus of this bond is to reduce overcrowding. The pressures on us for overcrowding are only going to get worse.”
Putting the bond issue on the November ballot will allow the district to advertise it as a no-increase measure, since the referendum would replace retiring bonds.
“If we wait until 2017, we wouldn’t be able to make that claim,” said Lofits, adding that the existing bonds will begin to retire next year.
The current levy for the Debt Service Fund is $1.41 per $1,000 of assessed property value.
Loftis said district officials do not want to run the bond issue too close to the replacement of the technology and maintenance and operations levies, which will be on the February 2018 ballot.
Every four years, voters are asked to reauthorize a levy, which makes about 23 percent of the district’s operating budging.
“If a levy fails, that fundamentally changes the educational experience in the district,” Loftis said.
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