BELLEVUE, Wash. (Nov. 30, 2009) – The Seattle King County REALTORS® (SKCR) endorsed three levies proposed for the Issaquah School District. The trio of ballot measures will be on the Feb. 9, 2010 ballot.
SKCR president Keith Nelson said the endorsement was by unanimous vote of the Association’s Government Affairs Committee, which considered several factors in its deliberations.
The levy requests include a Maintenance & Operations Levy, a School Bus Levy and a Capital Levy for the district, which serves almost 16,000 students in 24 schools spanning seven municipalities and 110 square miles.
In urging voters in the Issaquah School District to join REALTORS in supporting the measure, Nelson said SKCR members are also being asked to volunteer for phone banks, preparing mailings, placing signs and other hands-on assistance to get out the vote and promote passage.
“Good schools are the first thing homebuyers ask us about,” said Nelson. In emphasizing the importance of high quality schools, he noted good schools preserve and enhance the value of family homes, and “they’re crucial to the futures of the students in the Issaquah School District.”
Nelson, in a letter to Dr. Steve Rasmussen, superintendent of the Issaquah School District, noted both the district’s record of exemplary audit reports and its achievements in earning the highest bond rating among public schools in Washington impressed the REALTORS. Nelson also praised the district for its decision to refinance its callable 1999 bonds in order to take advantage of lower interest rates, a move that is expected to save taxpayers more than $685,000 over the next five years.
Other factors Nelson cited that influenced the endorsement included:
- Stable taxes. If all three levies are renewed, the average homeowner can expect to pay the same or less in taxes for the most fundamental needs for Issaquah schools.
- Safe, clean, efficient buses. The levy will allow the district to collect state funding to offset the cost of purchasing buses, ensuring alignment with state safety standards and allowing the district to preserve more operational dollars for the classroom.
- Critical needs. With the renewal of the Capital Levy the district will be able to fund two components: educational technology (including replacement of aging computers and accessories) and critical repairs for each school district-wide.
- Basic needs. The M&O levy provides 19 cents of every classroom dollar and is the only locally approved ballot measure that directly pays for basic general classroom and operational needs.
Special achievements by teachers and students also drew praise from SKCR. Twelve seniors received recognition as semifinalists in the 2010 National Merit Scholarship Program and students in the class of 2009 significantly outscored their state and national peers on the SAT and ACT college-entrance exams. In December 2008, thirteen teachers from the district earned National Board Certification, one of the highest awards in the U.S. for professional excellence in teaching. Sunset Hills Elementary was named a “Great School” for being among the top 5 percent of highest improving Washington schools in reading and mathematics during the past five school years.
If renewed, the M&O Levy will allow the district to collect between $35 million and $42 million per year (its full statutory authority) from 2011 to 2014. Renewal of the School Bus Levy will provide $1.7 million in 201l to purchase 41 buses. The Capital Levy, if renewed, will allow collection of $32.9 million for technology and $5.6 million for critical repairs of schools over the life of the levy.
Washington ranks 35th among the 50 U.S. states in per pupil spending and 33rd in per pupil revenue for elementary-secondary public school systems, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s report, Public Education Finances (based on 2007 data, but issued July 2009).
The Issaquah School District’s levy materials cites research ranking Washington 43rd out of 50 states in per-pupil education funding, That source, “Education Week,” has Issaquah ranked 271 out of 295 Washington school districts in per-pupil education funding. Referring to those findings, the Issaquah District materials note, “A levy or bond measure is the one funding mechanism provided by law that enables the local community to directly invest in the quality of its schools to overcome these shortfalls.”
The Seattle-King County Association of REALTORS®, with 6,000-plus members, is a local board of the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR). Its members participate in matters at all levels of government that affect private property rights, housing supplies, affordability and homeownership opportunities. Membership is voluntary, and only members may use the term REALTOR®, which is a licensed collective trademark.
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
