School bond, levy set for March vote

Spokane voters will have a chance early next year to continue a streak of generosity toward schools.

Despite the recession and growing concerns over the global financial crisis, the board of directors for Spokane Public Schools on Wednesday voted unanimously to put a $288 million bond issue on the March 10 ballot.

In addition, voters will be asked to approve a levy that would provide $50 million a year for three years. That money is critical to helping fill the gap between state funding and the actual cost of educating students, district officials said.

The bond money would go toward improvements at every school. Topping the list is $99 million to reconstruct Ferris High School and more than $100 million to replace two elementary schools and rebuild two others.

The ballot issues would replace a levy and a bond that are expiring. The tax rate – the amount charged for every $1,000 in property value – would remain about the same if both are approved.

Schools statewide had a hard time persuading voters to support bond issues this year. Voters in various districts approved only 27 out of 35 bond proposals.

Yet Spokane voters have a nearly spotless record of approving big-ticket school measures, including the $165.3 million bond that the current proposal would replace. Money from that 2003 bond was earmarked for replacing three elementary schools and renovating Rogers and Shadle Park high schools, along with many smaller projects.

This year, as in 2003, supporters plan to emphasize that spending millions on school construction – $332 million, once state matching dollars are factored in – will provide a boost to the local economy.