Voters in the Kent School District were approving a $252 million bond measure, identical to the one that failed by 218 votes in April.<\/p>\n
Initial results released by the King County Elections Office on Tuesday night had the measure passing with 25,060 votes (65.24 percent) in favor and 13,350 votes (34.76 percent) against.<\/p>\n
The measure required 60-percent-plus-one-vote approval.<\/p>\n
Funds will be used to improve existing facilities and reduce overcrowding by replacing Covington Elementary School and building a new elementary school in the Kent Valley, as well as add 20 new classrooms throughout the district.<\/p>\n
The measure authorizes the replacement of retiring bonds, so the district’s Debt Service Fund levy of $1.41 per $1,000 of assessed property value won’t increase.<\/p>\n
Kent School Board President Karen DeBruler said it was relieving to have the bond passed on the second try. A small group of school district staff, board members and supporters gathered at the Golden Steer Steak n’ Rib House on Kent’s East Hill to wait for election results.<\/p>\n
“We have been talking about not if, but when, we passed it, so we had this positive thing going in,” she said. “We did put a lot more effort in to this one. We knew we needed to.”<\/p>\n
In June, the Kent School Board agreed to put the measure back on the ballot.<\/p>\n
This time around, the district ramped up its efforts of getting information out to voters explaining the proposition.<\/p>\n
By law, district resources cannot be used to promote the measure, but the district can run an informational campaign. Citizens for Kent Schools, a political action committee separate from the district, was formed to promote the bond issue.<\/p>\n
The district sent a mailer explaining the measure to residents and also has information about the measure in additional languages, as well as information on how to register to vote, and submitted a statement for the county voter pamphlet, which it did not do in the last election.<\/p>\n
A Citizens’ Bond Review Committee looked at 262 projects submitted by schools and the maintenance department and recommended 76 of those as top priorities.<\/p>\n
Projects funded by the bond include:<\/p>\n
• $160 million to help reduce overcrowding with the construction of the two new elementary buildings and additional classrooms where needed.<\/p>\n
• $26.4 million for safety improvements, including new fire alarms at eight schools, upgrading parking and drop-off zones at five schools, new door locks and hardware at five schools, and new ADA access ramps at seven schools.<\/p>\n
• $24.3 million to increase energy efficiency, including upgrades to heating and ventilation systems at 11 schools and upgrades to energy management systems at nine schools.<\/p>\n
• $23.6 million to remodel and upgrade schools, including renovations of outdoor athletic facilities at 10 schools.<\/p>\n
District spokesman Chris Loftis said he expected to be break ground on the new Covington Elementary in early 2017.<\/p>\n
“We haven’t sited for the other school yet,” Loftis said.<\/p>\n
The next step is to prioritize the other projects, which will take place in the next five to seven years, Loftis said.<\/p>\n
Every school in the district will receive some type of upgrade remodel.<\/p>\n
“If we tried to do it all at one time, the whole district would be a construction zone,” he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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