Editor's note: Last week we presented information from Highline School Board President Michael Spear on the merits of passing a $385 million bond. Here is a response from an opposition group.

Who is HIGHLINE?

We are a very diverse community and we are proud of it.
We take pride in living together harmoniously although we know that our differences only make us stronger.
We try to learn from our mistakes and hope not to repeat them.
We are not wealthy but we are all focused on giving the very best education to our children. They are our future.
We set the examples to teach our children about honesty and integrity.

In South King County, we have some of the lowest incomes in the State of Washington. In fact, that is why 75% of our students are provided free meals. For this reason, we must be diligent and careful about what kinds of burdens are placed on our population because they cannot afford any more taxes and rent increases than they are already paying.

The very least that every single citizen deserves is a thorough and transparent explanation why another tax would be placed on them. So far, we have not been given a satisfactory accounting for why we should pay a $385 Million Dollar Bond.

When a building is in the planning stages, the architects, the engineers and the clients come together with a concept and then a plan. There is nothing in this Bond that gives us a clear direction about how our money will be spent. There is no estimate of costs or an architectural plan that has been approved by the public. Why would something so expensive and burdensome be our responsibility without our input? In fact, 40% of this Bond does not go to the construction of new schools.

The median house price for the Highline School District for 2013 is $250,000, not $200,000. It could be higher for 2014. The school property tax alone will be $750 per year if this Bond passes. That is in addition to the Maintenance & Operations (M & O) Levy. The total tax for a house valued at $250,000 will be $1695 per year.
This increase also applies to apartment houses and shopping centers. The landlords and owners of shopping centers will be passing this tax on to their tenants, so everyone will get an increase to their monthly expenses.

This is not taking into consideration the increasing tax rate on our existing bonds in 2016 to 2026. If this Bond is approved there will be no relief in our tax rate until 2035.

The Highline School District Board has not been fiscally responsible nor transparent to our community. When it comes to doing the research to find out how our hard earned tax dollars are being spent, the audits are closed and there is no public access. We should all question this.

As to the School Boards' confusion around the 60% school bond tax increase, the math is simple. When you multiply our current tax rate of $1.88 by 60%, the result is $1.12. This $1.12 is an addition to the $1.88 that we are already paying. The M & O Levy tax is on top of this. The total amount could be $6.80+ per thousand assessed valuation if this Bond passes.

As for the current conditions of our schools, the Highline School District has failed to maintain and preserve our schools and yes, this needs to be addressed but not with this Bond. The community should be involved in addressing the needs of our public schools, our teachers and our students. The school district wants us to believe that there was broad community input in the decision to go forward with this Bond. This is simply not true!

The Public Relations Department for the Highline School District spent 16% more this year than previously, for an approximate total of $700,000. This expenditure included Bond brochures that were sent home with the students on a regular basis to persuade their parents to vote yes on the ballot. This is a calculated move which skirts the law. Who knows what this PR expenditure will be next year when the M & O Levy is on the ballot?

How can Mr. Spear say that '"the percentage of the District's budget that is spent on central administration, is in line with peer districts"? Superintendent Enfield is the second highest paid Superintendent in the State of Washington. We feel that her compensation is not in line with the academic achievement ratings which is the lowest of average in our state. Our students and teachers deserve better. Did you know that parents are moving their families out of the District to get a better education from a superior school district? The teachers are fearful of intimidation and retaliation if they speak out. We are also losing good teachers for this very reason.

In 2012 we approved the M & O Levy because we were threatened with a reduction in staff and programs. But there were cutbacks in the Maintenance Department of 50% anyway. So now you have a 50% reduction and the work not getting done.

The additions to the Administration at Highline was so great that Mr. Spear was unable to account for them all. So here they are:

Superintendent
Executive Assistant
Chief Academic Officer
Chief Technology Officer
Chief of Staff & Finance
Chief Accountability Officer
Chief Communications Officer
Chief Operations Officer
Family & Community Partnerships Liaison Officer
Director of Policy Development
Chief Talent Officer
$1,638,344.00 just for the above Superintendent's Cabinet.

In addition, Administration has a:
Director of Assessment & Accountability
Assistant Director of Communications
Director of Business Services
Director of Human Resources
Executive Director of Human Resources
Director of Talent Administration and Development
Director of Athletics
Director of Nutrition
Director of Security
Director of Transportation
Director of Facilities
Instruction Leadership Executive Director of Evergreen/Highline Secondary
Instructional Leadership Executive Director Evergreen/Highline Elementary
Instructional Leadership Executive Director Mount Rainier/Tyee Secondary
Instructional Leadership Executive Director Mount Rainier/Tyee Elementary
Executive Director of Instruction and Innovation
Director of Language and Learning
Executive Director of Student Support Services
Director of Literacy Social Studies and PD
Assistant Director of Special Education (3 positions)
Director of Health and Social Services
Director of STEM
Director of Student Advancement
Director of P-3 / Early Learning
Assistant Director of Technology
Total of 37 positions.

Mr. Spear talks about a Strategic Plan to increase our student achievement results. Perhaps this plan was way too ambitious in creating a department with over 16 Directors and Officers alone and paying them almost two million dollars a year. Most, if not all, elementary schools now have an assistant principal. The increase in administration is at all levels.
This is proof that the taxpayers money is staying at the top and not making it down to our children.

Mr. Spear claims that there was broad community input regarding this Bond, but for those of us that were present at these meetings, we know that this is not true. The Highline School District Board's plans and decisions were already made prior to those meetings. Any and all comments made that were outside of their agenda were completely dismissed. The scope of their plans do not benefit the communities where the proposed changes would take place.

We are going to be asked to pass even more bonds in the near future because this $385 million Bond is flawed. The Highline School District needs to get it right so that our money is not discretionary but targeted to the critical needs of our students.
Don't feel threatened by claims from the Highline School Board that there are no alternatives, because there are and we need to consider all of them. Remember, Mr Spear alluded to "the loss of trust within the community".

Instead of backing into the legal limit of what the Highline School District Board can actually ask for, we need to start at the beginning to determine what these costs will be. There must be provisions in place for accountability and oversight. Then we will know that our hard earned tax dollars are being spent for the legitimate costs of improving conditions for our students. Only then can we all agree upon and approve a bond.

VOTE NO ON THE HIGHLINE SCHOOL DISTRICT BOND MEASURE, PROP 1!

Laura & John Castronover and SSOS
Sensible Spending on Our Schools