Come February, voters in the Northshore School District will decide three money issues which, if approved, would direct a total of roughly $342.2 million to the schools over four years, beginning in 2011.
Most of that money does not represent new funding. Two of the issues are renewals of existing levies, while the third is a capital improvement bond issue. The district estimates that if all three issues passed, the cost to property owners would be $4.07 per $1,000 of valuation in each of the four affected years.
Described by district Superintendent Larry Francois as the most critical of the three questions, the first issue is renewal of a $169 million maintenance and operations levy that expires in 2010.
The renewal would bring in around $40 million a year, and, as have other district officials, Francois said those proceeds represent 20 percent of the district’s general revenues. He added loss of those dollars would be “devastating” to the schools.
“It’s almost inconceivable in some ways to try and envision what that would be like,” Francois said of failure of the levy.
A second levy is also a renewal, this time of a much smaller $24 million technology levy that helps bring computers and similar hardware into classrooms. According to district information, renewing the levy would allow the schools, to maintain, among other measures, a ratio of five students for every one computer.
Worth $149 million, the bond issue would fund numerous maintenance projects around the district. But most notably, the bond sale would fund continuing renovations at Woodinville High and Kenmore Junior High schools.
Are district officials worried about overwhelming voters with three money issues, especially during a time of economic upheaval? Francois noted two of the issues are renewals, not new levies.
“They are integral to our ongoing objectives,” he said, with the main objective, obviously, being to educate children, Francois added.
He further noted Northshore voters never have turned down a school levy. School Board of Director President Cathy Swanson said the same.
“The community has been very supportive,” Swanson said, adding Northshore voters tend to be intelligent and informed and that district officials are banking on those characteristics to help carry the day.
According to information provided by Francois and district Communications Director Leanna Albrecht, the cost of the combined issues is equal to the estimated 2010 tax rate and even would be slightly less than the district collected four years ago in 2005.
For a homeowner with property valued at $412,000, the measures would add approximately $48.84 to that homeowner’s tax bill. For a home valued at $450,000, the increase is estimated as $53.37.
Francois said the local counties, of course, decide the assessed value of any property based on the previous year’s market. In other words, for example, the 2009 market will determine the assessed values for 2010. In the case of King County, Francois said officials are looking at a 12-percent decrease in assessed value because of the depressed economy. In determining the cost of the school issues in coming years, local officials took into account a modest, projected 3 percent annual increase in assessed valuation starting in 2011.
Francois noted when voters approve a school issue, they approve the district collecting a certain dollar amount. The district than collects that amount — no more and no less — regardless of any fluctuations in the valuation of local property. If assessed values go up, school tax rates drop. If assessed values go down, tax rates increase to ensure collections remain at the same dollar amount.
According to information supplied by the district, the operations levy would provide money for lower class sizes, curriculum updates, advanced support for academic achievers, as well as intervention for struggling students. The dollars also would reach areas such as special education and extracurricular activities.
Francois said the technology levy and the bond issue were the end recommendations of two committees whom he described as carefully having studied both measures. In both cases, the committees consisted of district administrators and staff, teachers, parents and community members.
In the case of the capital improvement bond, Francois said Northshore voters historically have passed such an issue every four years and officials decided to try and keep that pattern in place. He further asserted that, when adjusted for inflation, the bond issue is smaller than the last three approved by voters.
Among other work, bond money would replace roof and carpeting at five schools, renovate 17 playfields, four tracks, four tennis courts and provide dollars for renovations at Pop Keeney Field.
Besides new computers for classrooms, the tech levy would provide new whiteboards for classrooms, teacher training on incorporating technology into the classroom and updating existing information systems.
