SNOHOMISH — Voters will decide on a $470 million capital bond in early February that would pay for building six new elementary schools to replace the old ones, update aging buildings and enhance safety in schools, while also reducing use of portable classrooms.
The school board approved the bond in its Sept. 25 meeting. The six elementary schools to be replaced are Cascade View, Cathcart, Dutch Hill, Emerson, Seattle Hill and Totem Falls. In addition to school replacements, the bond will pay for a project to combine Central with Emerson to create a K-6 school, said Ralph Rohwer, the district’s director of operations.
The district serves 9,800 students and is focused on improving access to “intentionally designed learning spaces that support our educational standards,” said Superintendent Kent Kultgen.
Kultgen went on to say that a successful bond must be community-driven and district-supported.
The school district developed its plan through the Citizens’ Facility Advisory Committee (CFAC), a 20 member group that in the past year reviewed the physical condition of our schools, explored demographic and enrollment projections and
prioritized needs for the bond measure.
The priorities are based on CFAC recommendations.
In addition to replacing schools, the Feb. 11, 2020 bond would upgrade security to all schools, and enhance a “sense of pride” in schools, Kultgen said.
The 20-year bond would cost $0.98 per $1,000 of assessed valuation in property taxes. Based on households living in a home valued at $425,000, the cost would represent about $35 per month or $415 per year, according to district estimates. This is in addition to the school district’s tax rate.
The district will provide more details this fall and has posted some at www.sno.wednet.edu/2020bond
