Seattle Times Editorial
King County voters should approve school construction tax requests in the Mercer Island, Issaquah and Renton school districts.
VOTERS should say yes to school-construction bond requests from three King County school districts. Rebuilding aging schools supports learning every bit as much as buying textbooks or hiring a new teacher.
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By Tom Corrigan
By now, most of the campaign work is done, said Lesley Austin, one of the two co-chairwomen of Volunteers for Issaquah Schools, the community organization promoting the Issaquah School District’s capital improvement levy on the April 17 ballot.
The VIS group organized so-called honk and waves at 13 locations throughout the district the morning and afternoon of April 2, Austin said. VIS slated a second such event for April 16, the day before ballots in the election are due back to King County.
Local voters also should be receiving a final mailing on the bond package from VIS sometime this week. Finally, Austin said the group will continue to put up more yard signs and replace any signs that have fallen or disappeared.
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For Liberty High School, passage of the April 17 Issaquah School District bond would mean completion of the reconstruction and modernization plan now under way thanks to a 2006 voter-approved bond.
At the same time, Apollo and Issaquah Valley elementary schools would receive sizable space additions, making room for 120 additional students at each building. Both schools would benefit from some much-needed maintenance, according to the principals of each school.
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From the beginning of the discussions over the upcoming school bond issue, Issaquah School District officials have admitted funding for millions in improvements to athletic fields in the district might be a hard sell to voters.
“We’re not doing anything outlandish,” said Steve Crawford, district director of capital improvements.
Crawford made the comment in September, answering questions from the school board prior to its vote to place the bond issue on the ballot.
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We wish the Issaquah School District had been more conservative in its request to fund the long list of items on the April 17 construction bond, but we get why it did so.
With another school bond ending its 20 years of tax collections, this is a good time to get a lot of catch-up work done on our school facilities, while still giving taxpayers a couple hundred dollars’ reduction in property taxes next year (an estimated $215 drop on a $500,000 assessed valuation home.)
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There are a couple of themes that come up over and over as backers and school officials talk about the prospect of placing artificial turf on the fields of each of the five Issaquah School District middle schools.
The upcoming bond package also would provide the middle schools with rubberized outdoor running tracks if voters decide to approve the $219 million capital improvement plan.
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Four projects account for roughly half of the $219 million bond package proposed by the Issaquah School District.
If district voters approve the issue in a special election April 17, plans call for rebuilding the district’s three oldest schools, Clark and Sunny Hills elementary schools, along with Issaquah Middle School. Total cost: $109.1 million.
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For Liberty High School, passage of the April 17 Issaquah School District bond would mean completion of the reconstruction and modernization plan now under way thanks to a 2006 voter-approved bond.
At the same time, Apollo and Issaquah Valley elementary schools would receive sizable space additions, making room for 120 additional students at each building. Both schools would benefit from some much-needed maintenance, according to the principals of each school.
(more)
As voters get closer to deciding whether to OK a $219 million bond issue to benefit the Issaquah School District, big projects such as the rebuilding of the so-called corridor schools are getting plenty of attention.
The corridor schools are Issaquah Middle, Clark Elementary and Tiger Mountain High schools, all which will end up largely rebuilt and in new locations if the bond sale is approved.
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Read the editorial titled The Issaquah School District’s Bond Good for Students and Taxpayers
at www.issaquahreporter.com/opinion/142843775.html
You can register online at www.kingcounty.gov/elections/registration.aspx
If you’re having trouble finding the right spots for your yard signs, please contact Suzanne Weaver atsgweav@comcast.net. It’s important that all signs be in the ground, in visible locations, by this coming weekend. If you have any extra signs, we’ll be happy to pick them up and place them for you.
Next weekend is supposed to be the last weekend for the neighborhood literature drops. However, the weather has been anything but conducive to this effort, so we are asking that you have your flyers distributed by March 31. Ballots will be mailed March 28 so they will be arriving in mailboxes between March 29 and 31. If you are unable to distribute all of the flyers please return them to Betsy Cohen for redistribution to schools that need more.
We are still looking for a visible location for a 4 X 8 sign. If you have a location contact Lesley at 425-392-8122 or lesleyaustin50@gmail.com.
The Issaquah Valley PTA is planning a district-wide public event on Sunday April 1, to expand on the good will generated by Listen Up’s “Bond Song.” Look for an email from the IVE PTA President. Contact Trish Neill at lestrish2000@yahoo.com <http://lestrish2000@yahoo.com for more information.
We’re coming down to the final stretch of the campaign, where the bulk of the spending occurs. There’s still time to make a difference. Donations in any amount are appreciated! You can donate online at visvote.org <http://visvote.org/> .
New endorsements from Issaquah Mayor Ava Frisinger and Newcastle Deputy Mayor Lisa Jensen
Greater Issaquah Chamber of Commerce, Renton Chamber of Commerce, Sammamish Chamber of Commerce, Sammamish City Council, Issaquah City Council, and Seattle King County Realtors.
State Representatives Glen Anderson, Marcie Maxwell, Jay Rodne, Ross Hunter, and Judy Clibborn
State Senator Steve Litzow
Sammamish Mayor Tom O’Dell
Renton Mayor Denis Law and Renton City Councilmen Randy Corman and Ed Prince
You can endorse the bond on our website, visvote.org <http://visvote.org/> . Please endorse by this Wednesday to ensure that your name is included in the endorsement ad.
VIS board member Wright Noel will talk about the importance of passing the bond at the March 21 Chamber lunch meeting. The Chamber has designed and printed a This Business Supports the Bond poster for display in the windows of Issaquah businesses – you should be seeing them around town. Thank you Issaquah Chamber!!
on our website,visvote.org <http://visvote.org/>
You can download the following:
Endorsement sheet
ISD bond fact sheet
VIS flyer, Who is VIS?
VIS flyer, Five Reasons to Vote Yes
“I Support the Issaquah School Bond” & “We Support the Issaquah School Bond” signs for your facebook photos
Go on facebook and Like VIS - post your photo with a support sign.
Put a bus magnet on your car.
March
10 – 24 Yardsigns out & neighborhood lit drops
19, 7:00 Bond information night at Blakely Hall, Issaquah Highlands
19, 7:00 Renton City Council hearing to endorse the bond
19 Deadline for King County Elections online voter registration
20 Deadline for endorsements for Issaquah Press ad
21, 11:30 Issaquah Chamber luncheon, Wright Noel
28 Endorsement ad in Issaquah Press
28 BALLOTS MAILED
April
2 Honk & Wave
3, 1:30 Presentation at Bellewood Retirement Center
16 Honk & Wave
17 ELECTION DAY – Election watch party