Issaquah voters to decide on bond package next month
March 13, 2012
New: March 13, 3:01 p.m.
Voting by mail in the weeks leading up to April 17, roughly 58,000 registered voters in the Issaquah School District will have the chance to decide whether the schools can sell $219 million in bonds to pay for major renovation and maintenance projects throughout the district.
The capital improvement plan presented by district officials includes a wide variety of projects, including replacing several schools, and installing new roofs and carpet at other facilities. The plan was created by a long process that started in early 2011 with meetings of a bond feasibility and development committee. That group made recommendations to Superintendent Steve Rasmussen and the package eventually had to earn the approval of the school board.
The board had the final say on whether to put a bond before voters and what projects would be proposed. In dollars, the largest projects include the replacement of Clark and Sunny Hills elementary schools and Issaquah Middle School, and major renovations to Liberty High School.
The oldest schools in the district
In talking about the bond projects, district officials are quick to point out that Issaquah Middle School (built in 1955) Sunny Hills (built in 1962) and Clark (built in 1950) are among the most aged schools in the district. In his recommendation to the school board, Rasmussen said it was no coincidence that replacing those schools accounted for nearly half of the cost of the overall capital proposal.
In the board-approved package that cut Rasmussen’s proposal by $8.5 million, the price of the three schools totals $109.1 million of the overall package of $219 million. Rebuilding Issaquah Middle School will cost $62.5 million. The price tag for Clark is $19.5 million; for Sunny Hills, $27.1 million.
Officials said there are numerous efficiencies that can be achieved in new buildings.
For example, it costs 27.4 percent more to heat Issaquah Middle School than Pacific Cascade Middle School, Rasmussen said.
In regard to its oldest schools, the district reached the point where a decision had to be made whether to keep spending substantial dollars on maintenance of older buildings or ask voters to allow an investment in newer structures, said Associate Superintendent Ron Thiele, who also mentioned safety issues at the older schools.
For example, the layout of doors at Issaquah Middle School makes it difficult to lock the building down in cases of emergency, he said. Moving central offices would provide better, direct views of parking lots, and students coming and going.
“I don’t want to give the impression those schools are unsafe,” Thiele said. “They are adequate … It goes to the overall improvement of the learning and teaching environments at those schools.”
As the schools are rebuilt, some will be relocated. Clark and Issaquah Middle would change places, putting Issaquah Middle closer to Issaquah High School. Tiger Mountain Community High School also would move to part of the existing Issaquah Middle School location.
Liberty High School
Renovation plans for Liberty total $44.5 million. That includes $4.8 million for rebuilding the athletic fields and stadium. Still, the biggest portion of the dollars aimed at Liberty would go toward what’s been labeled “Phase B” of its reconstruction and modernization.
Future plans for Liberty include reconfiguring and expanding the so-called commons area; relocating and remodeling administration and counseling offices; modernizing a large number of classrooms; completing a video/TV lab and production and editing studio; modernizing the school library; and adding a new auxiliary gym. The roof would be replaced outside of the new or remodeled areas.
The existing football bleachers would be converted to the visitor’s side. New home bleachers would seat 2,000. Plans call for a press box on the west side of the field.
Tiger Mountain Community High School
The district’s alternative high school is aimed squarely at students who have struggled in a more typical classroom environment or students who simply prefer, and do better in, an alternative-learning environment. If the bond package wins approval, the school would be relocated to the current location of Issaquah Middle School. Total cost: $3.9 million.
A renovated and modernized Tiger Mountain would allow the expansion of career and technical training for district students, not necessarily just those who attend Tiger. In the past, school board members and administrators have discussed making new Tiger Mountain programs available to all district students as much as possible.
The revamped Tiger Mountain would have added hours of operation in order to give students more classroom time. Officials envision new science-, technology-, engineering- and math-related programs. A culinary arts program would be expanded. At one point, administrators said they had not fully programmed the new Tiger, as that seemed a bit of a wasted exercise if voters do not approve the bond.
Tiger also could serve as home base to expanded online educational offerings.
Stadiums and artificial turf
As preparation of the bond package moved forward, administrators and school board members admitted this part of the package might be a tough sell with voters. The proposal calls for a major revamping of stadiums at all three mainstream district high schools. Additionally, artificial turf would replace existing natural fields at all district middle schools. Rubberized running tracks would replace existing cinder tracks. Total cost of athletic field work at all schools, not including Issaquah Middle School, is $18.3 million.
Of the high schools, Skyline would receive the most attention with a $6.4 million project. Covered, home-side stands seating 2,500 would be built at Skyline’s stadium, along with a bigger press box, more restroom space and additional concession areas.
Maintenance and
other projects
The project list includes specific work at roughly 21 of the district’s 24 schools. Besides those projects already listed, the program would include $7.2 million in expansion and improvements at Apollo Elementary School. Issaquah Valley Elementary School also would receive an addition and other improvements at a cost of $8.5 million. The additions would create room for 120 more students at each school.
Other schools would receive greatly varying degrees of attention. For example, Challenger Elementary School is slated for new flooring, an upgraded intercom system and a new fire alarm system. Total cost is $455,000.
The program list also includes numerous districtwide projects. Electronic locks and a card-key access system would be installed at all schools. The district would spend $2.6 million to install security cameras and closed circuit TV systems in each building.
On the web
See a complete list of all projects that could be funded by the 2012 bond issue at www.issaquah.wednet.edu. Click on “April 2012 bond.”
What will it cost
“How much will it raise taxes?”
That’s the first question that comes to mind when a money issue of any kind is put before voters. So, how will the $219 million bond package being floated by the Issaquah School District affect local property taxes?
Bond supporters are quick to point out that local property tax bills will fall even if the bond issue passes. That’s because a bond package voters approved in 2006 is about to be retired.
According to the district, the retirement of the earlier bond will drop the local tax rate from $4.85 per $1,000 of assessed property value to $4.05. Passage of the new bond would put the rate at $4.42.
Compared to present rates, for a person with a home valued at $500,000, even with the new bond, property taxes will drop by $215 annually, said Jake Kuper, district chief of finance and operations. He was quick to add taxes would drop by an additional $215 if the new bond does not pass.
The 2012 bond would be on the books for eight years.
The current economic slump actually could work in the district’s favor, according to Associate Superintendent Ron Thiele and others. Issaquah schools can take advantage of low interest on the bonds sold to fund capital improvements. At the same time, contractors are hungry for work, meaning bids should be lower than they might be otherwise. On projects under way with funding from the 2006 bond, local schools have been able to attract big-name, quality contractors who might have ignored Issaquah under other circumstances, Steve Crawford, district director of capital projects, said.
Online registration deadline looms
Unregistered voters looking to cast a ballot in the April 17 special election need to register online or by mail by March 19.
Ballots for the all-mail election are expected to go out March 28.
You must have a valid Washington driver’s license in order to register online. Go to www.kingcounty.gov/elections/registration.aspx. From there, you can find a form to use for mail-in voter registration. Forms are also available at King County elections offices and branches of the King County Library System.
March 19 is also the deadline for previously registered voters to change information such as name or address. That can also be done on the county website.
Voters who have never registered or voted in Washington previously have until April 9 to register, but all registrations after March 19 must be done in person. Visit the above website for details.
Issaquah school officials offer information on planned construction
February 29, 2012
The Issaquah School District administration and the district capital projects staff plan an informational session on proposed capital improvements at Clark Elementary, Issaquah Middle and Tiger Mountain Community High schools.
The public session is set for 5:30 p.m. March 8 at Issaquah Middle School, 400 First Ave. S.E. Read more
Language program takes flight in Issaquah district
February 7, 2012
Students at Cascade Ridge riffle through articles of clothing in “La Tienda de Ropa,” a make-believe clothing store in a first-level Spanish class.
“La bufanda!” and “El vestido!” they shout as their teacher instructs them to repeat after her.
These 10 boys and girls, all between the ages of 6 and 11, are a part of a growing program in the Issaquah School District. Foreign Language for Youth, or FLY as it is also known, is an after-school series that equips elementary school students with foundational language skills in Arabic, French, Spanish, Chinese and Mandarin. Featured in 15 of the state’s school districts, the program uses games, conversation and activities to engage young pupils who are otherwise not exposed to foreign languages until later in their school careers. Read more
Issaquah district settles on new teacher evaluations
January 31, 2012
Hoping to take the lead in implementing a coming change in state law, Issaquah School District officials have settled on a teacher evaluation system that could end up being a model for all of Washington.
The Issaquah district will now spend some time ramping up to implementation of the new system, according to Associate Superintendent Ron Thiele, as well as information released by the district. Read more
Snow falling, storm not as bad as first predicted
January 18, 2012
New: Jan. 18, 11:59 a.m.
Snow continues to fall in the Puget Sound region, but some forecasts expect the majority of the snow to stop by about 1 p.m.
In Sammamish, snow continues to fall and a few inches are on the ground. While snow amounts are enough to be annoying, they are far less than the 6-14 inches predicted a few days ago. Read more
No solution on Issaquah High School schedules
January 9, 2012
The Issaquah School District committee tasked with coming up with a uniform schedule for all three district high schools was unable to reach an agreement on what such a schedule might look like, according to Sara Niegowski, district executive director of communications.
The committee held its last meeting Dec. 14, Niegowski said. Read more
Issaquah School Board supports its own bond issue
January 9, 2012
If voters approve a new bond measure this spring, Skyline could get its long-awaited Spartan Stadium renovation and Sunny Hills Elementary School will get a total rebuild.
The Issaquah School District will ask district residents to do so this April. At its last meeting of 2011 on Dec. 14, the Issaquah School Board unanimously passed a resolution supporting a more than $219 million capital bond issue. If passed, the bond money will provide funding for various building projects and school upgrades around the district for the next eight years. Read more
Local teachers go above and beyond for board certification
December 21, 2011
A small group of teachers at schools across Sammamish are celebrating reaching a milestone.
After about a year of conducting self-evaluations, writing papers and compiling lesson plans and in-class video, 23 teachers representing all grade levels received National Board Certification, the National Board for Teaching Standards announced Dec. 7. They are among the 6,200 teachers around the country who earned the certification — considered the highest level of certification for a teacher — in 2011. Read more
New grading system motivates students
November 30, 2011
At first, Caitlin McIlwain got a little nervous when she saw a lower-than-desired grade on her first world studies paper as a freshman at Skyline High School.
She knew she did better than the “B-” reflected in the rundown on the online grade book. But she quickly realized that “B-” was one of six grades she received for the assignment from teacher Sarah Rainwater.
“I didn’t like seeing that in the grade book,” said McIlwain, now a sophomore. Read more
New grading system hopes to motivate students
November 29, 2011
New: Nov. 29. 10:09 a.m.
At first, Caitlin McIlwain got a little nervous when she saw a lower-than-desired grade on her first world studies paper as a freshman at Skyline High School.
She knew she did better than the “B-” reflected in the rundown on the online grade book. But she quickly realized that “B-” was one of six grades she received for the assignment from teacher Sarah Rainwater.
“I didn’t like seeing that in the grade book,” said McIlwain, now a sophomore. Read more
