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Spokane County school districts solicit $410 million in bonds

Spokane Public Schools project manager Mike Keenan walks around the new gym and mechanical building at Salk Middle School on Thursday. After the building is done, construction could begin on a new academic building, if a bond passes. (Jesse Tinsley)
Spokane Public Schools project manager Mike Keenan walks around the new gym and mechanical building at Salk Middle School on Thursday. After the building is done, construction could begin on a new academic building, if a bond passes. (Jesse Tinsley)Buy a print of this photo
By Jody Lawrence-Turner jodyl@spokesman.com(509) 459-5593

Voters in five Spokane County school districts, including the three largest, soon will be asked if they want to pay for new and renovated schools and for new technology and safety upgrades.

Added up, the districts are asking for $410 million in the Feb. 10 special election.

Big investments would be made in Spokane, Central Valley and Mead school districts’ elementary and middle schools. Cheney and Nine Mile Falls school districts would focus on high schools. Safety upgrades, school expansions, science lab classrooms, technology upgrades and maintaining aging buildings would dominate the remaining funds not specified for major construction projects.

Ballots will be mailed in early 2015 to voters in each school district for February’s special election.

With the exception of Spokane Public Schools, history shows voters do not often approve bonds. Central Valley School District has not passed a bond for 16 years.

“We take nothing for granted,” said Kevin Morrison, Spokane’s district spokesman. “One of the reasons we spread the bond out over six years is so we have work to show for it.”

Spokane and Central Valley used a new website to seek community input before proposing bond packages. ThoughtExchange uses email to engage the public to ask for the community’s concerns and priorities.

“It really works a lot like a virtual town hall meeting,” Central Valley School District spokeswoman Melanie Rose said. “Using the priorities that the community expressed makes it easier to construct the bond and talk about it.”

Similar themes emerged in both school districts: Safety is paramount; technology is important and taxes should not rise.

Spokane Public Schools is asking voters to approve a $145 million bond, which would keep the tax rate for property owners at $1.96 per $1,000 assessed value.

“We are extra sensitive to the economy, and the board reflected that by keeping the rate the same,” Morrison said.

The projects include Franklin Elementary School modernization and addition, Linwood Elementary replacement, upgrades at Adams Elementary, Wilson Elementary School classroom addition, Shaw Middle School replacement, property purchases, districtwide facility projects, technology upgrades, and safety and security improvements.

District officials had considered additional projects at high schools and improvements to the Joe Albi Stadium, but ThoughtExchange respondents’ priorities reflected an emphasis on schools.

“We want people to know we listened,” said Sue Chapin, school board vice president.

Central Valley School District is proposing a $121.9 million bond. The tax rate will remain at $1.96 per $1,000 assessed value because the current bonds that paid for Central Valley and University high schools are about to be paid off.

The district’s proposals include renovating and expanding Evergreen Middle School and Opportunity, Greenacres, Chester, Ponderosa and Sunrise elementary schools; building a new elementary school; and planning for another high school to address growth. The district also plans to add classrooms at other schools and make safety and security upgrades across the district.

“We are taking a practical approach,” Rose said. “Instead of building new schools, we are remodeling and expanding our existing buildings.”

Community members in Central Valley also voiced a desire for children to attend their neighborhood schools. Because of significant growth, many children aren’t able to attend the closest school. In the past decade, the district has grown by 1,700 students.

Mead School District is asking voters to consider a $69.5 million bond, which would increase the current tax rate by 76 cents to $1.42 per $1,000 assessed value.

The three flagship projects are modernization of Shiloh Hills and Midway elementary schools and replacing Northwood Middle School. Smaller projects are planned throughout the district, including track replacement at Mead and Mt. Spokane high schools, technology and safety needs, classroom expansion and adding student science facilities.

Cheney and Nine Mile Falls school district officials are asking voters to support their community’s high schools.

Cheney High School was built to hold 900 students. Enrollment is currently about 1,200. A $44.8 million bond package would pay for improvements including safety, security, heating, plumbing and electrical system upgrades as well as expansion.

The estimated tax rate for the bond is 75 cents per $1,000 assessed value.

Nine Mile Falls School District officials are proposing a $29.4 million bond to redesign Lakeside High School along with upgrades throughout the district. Approval would bring the tax rate to $1.35 per $1,000 assessed value.

School officials say Lakeside’s current design has security flaws, in part, because it has too many entrances and exits, making it more difficult to control entry into the school.

“We’ve known we needed to do something with the high school for a long time,” Superintendent Brian Talbott said. “We didn’t want to run the bond when the economy fell apart.”