LETTER: School Board Letter on Bond
Tue, 10/14/2014
To the editor:
Our elementary schools are overcrowded, and despite diligent maintenance, we have schools that badly need to be repaired or replaced.
As this community’s elected representatives on the Highline School Board, it is our job to meet the educational needs of our students and to find a fiscally responsible solution to the challenges we are facing.
In Washington State, school construction and renovation is done through voter-approved bonds. The measure we have placed on the November ballot was developed after an independent audit detailing the condition of every facility in our district and an exhaustive look at alternatives. This included input from citizens district-wide.
The decision we make on November 4 is one that will impact the quality of life in our community for years to come – so, before you cast your vote, please make your decision based on facts, not misleading information, inaccurate numbers or false claims.
FACT: The longer we wait to replace 90-year-old buildings, the more taxpayers will spend on repairs and energy inefficiency. Continuing to maintain deteriorating buildings is not the best use of taxpayer resources.
FACT: Enrollment is projected to grow by more than 2,000 additional students in the next 8-10 years. We must build new schools now -- or face larger class sizes and the possibility of double-shifting our school hours.
FACT: Only by building new schools will we have space to lower class sizes. The state is offering funding for smaller classes, but we currently do not have enough classrooms to reduce class sizes – and we may have to forfeit those new state revenues.
FACT: Schools impact quality of life and property values. Realtors say good schools are the number one factor influencing where homebuyers decide to locate.
FACT: If the bond is approved, we will minimize the impact on taxpayers by obtaining $78 million in state, federal, and port matching funds. That’s one matching dollar for every five bond dollars.
FACT: Highline has a track record of completing construction projects on time and on budget. We have saved taxpayers nearly $10 million by refinancing current bonds.
You will find many more facts at www.highlineschools.org/building. In addition, I will meet with anyone seeking more information on the bond. You can contact me at Michael.spear@highlineschools.org. On behalf of the entire school board, I urge you to fact-check rumors, blog posts, and email chains before you vote on November 4.
Sincerely,
Michael Spear, President
Highline Public Schools Board of Directors