Editor’s note: Some patrons in the Highline School District believe the current request for a $385 million dollar bond is not appropriate and outsized. We gathered some of the more pointed questions that were not asked at the public forums the district has been holding since January. We directed these questions to Michael Spear, Board President. Here are his responses.

By Ken Robinson

What is the average a homeowner now pays in school taxes in the district for the 20-year bonds passed in 2002 and 2006?

The current tax rate on bonds for Highline is $1.88 per $1000 assessed valuation, and with an average home value of $200,000 in Highline, that means $376 (Source – King County Property Tax Guide). If the 2014 bonds are passed, we would see that value increase by $1.12/$1000 assessed value, or an increase of $224 a year. Given that, one could extrapolate what their approximate amount would be. I mention the new rate because we understand that it’s an ask to tax payers in the district, and ask that voters weight that against the benefits of the projects put forward: to rebuild Des Moines Elementary, Highline High School, add two middle schools, renovations at Tyee and Evergreen, technology infrastructure improvements, and other major repairs to upgrade those schools not being rebuilt.

This is not a 60 percent increase in property taxes as stated by opponents to the bond. When looking at all property taxes, it’s much lower than that (approximately 7.5%), and I’m happy to explain that to any willing as Highline has and remains transparent, accurate, and fiscally responsible to all of the people in the district.

Voter-approved bonds are the way school construction is funded in our state. We have no other option for building and renovating schools. We are going to the voters because the need for more classroom space and replacement of aging buildings is great, and can’t be addressed another way.

What does the statement "All as deemed necessary and advisably the board" mean? Does it allow the board to use bond money for salaries or other purposes? What might be on that list?

This is legal language that allows the Board some flexibility to modify the bond projects if circumstances change. For example, if the bond specified renovation of a wing at Evergreen but mold was discovered in the process of the renovations, funds could be directed to the eradication of the mold problem.

The dollars raised from the bond only go to the Capital Fund, and those dollars are only used for construction, major repairs, and other expenses associated with capital improvements. This can include some salaries that are directly linked to bond-funded projects, such as the position of a project manager of a new school construction project, but would not fund other salaries or other purposes.

Why is the Performing Arts Center included in the language about rebuilding Highline High? When were taxpayers told the district was going to build a new gymnasium at Highline High and instead built the Performing Arts Center?

Some in the community lost trust in the school district after construction of the Performing Arts Center in 1989, which was perceived as a bait and switch by the school board. We do not want to repeat that history. We are absolutely committed to transparency in this bond – that’s why we made a point of calling out the work to modernize the PAC. When we rebuild Highline High School, we may have the opportunity to more closely integrate the two structures, so we wanted to make sure we included it in the bond proposal.

I would add that since that situation 25 years ago, the Highline School District has demonstrated excellent stewardship. In both the 2002 and 2006 bonds, we completed all 14 projects on time and within budget with the exception of a three-day delay on Bow Lake. We also offset the cost to taxpayers by leveraging millions of dollars in matching funds and refinanced bonds saving taxpayers nearly $10 million dollars.

What is the justification for the seven hundred thousand dollar budget for the Public Relations Department with a 16 percent increase annually?
The budget line coded by the state as “Public Relations” includes all the products, projects and staff costs of our communications office. The work is focused on communicating with parents/families and keeping the public informed about the district. Without this kind of communication, we couldn’t hold ourselves accountable to families, taxpayers, and the community. The communications budget includes our website, emergency notifications, Robocall system, quarterly progress reports to the community, district annual report card, school performance reports; parent, staff, and student surveys; community meetings; and all publications and informational products of the district.

This budget did receive a 16 percent increase this year over last year to cover new tools that improve our communication with families and the community, including our new website, which is easier for school staff to keep updated with timely information; our new mobile app, which helps us reach families better, especially those who don’t have a computer at home; and a new notification system that reaches parents by text, email and phone. This was a one-time increase and is not an annual increase.
Parkinson's Law of the Inclining Pyramid seems to have taken over the administration of the Highline District. How can the board justify a staff of 34 people in the administration department at top salaries?
The percentage of the district’s budget that is spent on the category of central administration is in line with our peer districts. Moreover, there are nine staff members at the top of the organization who are part of Dr. Enfield’s cabinet, and I don’t know where a count of “34” comes from or who that includes.

In my time with the board, we’ve cut back greatly in many areas. After the state funding cuts hit in 2008, many administrative positions at our central office were reduced. This was in response to feedback from community meetings we held around the budget to cut back in that area. We reduced and did not fill positions.

While we’ve made some progress, student achievement is flat in some areas and is not growing up as fast as others. Our students are in greater need than their predecessors and we have set some very ambitious goals in the Strategic Plan. To meet those goals, we need leaders who can move the system forward, working with teachers, staff, and the community to do it.

How is it that Evergreen High has been allowed to fall into such a state of disrepair? The grounds are not maintained and the building exteriors look time-worn. Why does the district maintenance department not take care of these things?

To be fair, we had to make cutbacks in a number of areas from 2008-2013, and to keep the cuts away from teachers and classrooms, we cut a number of maintenance positions just as we had to with administrative and other staffing positions. If that meant that the grass was only cut once a month instead of two or three times, and schools weren’t repainted every year, that’s what had to happen to keep the majority of dollars in classrooms and helping to push students forward.

After hearing students speak to the board in May, I went out to see Evergreen before the end of the school year. While there are areas that need addressing, the school is in better shape than I expected from the comments. I was happy to see that. The head janitor showed myself and a principal around the site and there are needs there, which is why we are putting forth some funds for Evergreen and Tyee for major issues, as they are not being replaced at this time.

At some point, we will need to replace Evergreen, but we can’t do everything in one bond.

At the January public meeting, Superintendent Enfield said "We will run it again if the bond does not pass. We have no other option." She mentioned double-shifting and extended school years. Are there other measures that might have to be taken?

Superintendent Enfield is right—we don’t have good options if the bond fails. One thing is for sure: doing nothing is not an option.
Our student enrollment is projected to keep increasing for at least the next 8-10 years. If we don’t build more classrooms, we definitely will not be able to lower class sizes, even though the state has recognized the benefits of smaller class size and is now offering funding for that. As enrollment grows, our class sizes will get larger. Double-shifting isn’t an option anybody likes, but at some point it becomes unsafe to pack more students into a building.

We have two schools that are almost 100 years old. We’ve been told by the firm that evaluated our buildings that Des Moines Elementary is at risk of closure due to a major boiler system or plumbing failure. If that happens, we only have one site where we could house those students – the original Beverly Park – and it needs millions of dollars of work before we could move student in there.

It is our job to avoid that kind of a problem, and the only way to do that is through a bond.

8. Also at the January public meeting, it was stated that "We can't put everything on the bond request." What was left out? And why?
The two big challenges we are facing are overcrowding in our elementary schools and aging buildings. This bond prioritizes the most urgent needs in those two areas.

Crowding in our elementary schools is at a critical point. For example, Cedarhurst was built for 610 studetns, and now has over 700. We need to build new schools.

Integrus Architecture conducted a building condition survey in 2008 and 2013. Des Moines Elementary had the most needs, with Highline High School just after that. Others, like the Tyee and Evergreen Campuses, are close to the top, so we are including dollars for renovations and repairs to keep them going until we can rebuild them.

We are always aware of how our funding measures impact taxpayers, and that’s why we delayed running this bond when the economy wasn’t turning around and there was great uncertainty. The work around the bond has been ongoing for years with planning and public meetings, and was originally planned for 2010 which wasn’t possible. We are careful to ask for an amount that we think taxpayers can support. Even if voters want us to go for a bond that would cover all our needs, we would not be able to because there is a legal limit to how much a school district can bond.