After Nearly Two Years of Talk, School Board Vote Expected on Bond Concept for Possible February Ballot

For nearly two years, the Snoqualmie Valley School Board has been discussing, researching, analyzing what type of school bond is needed to meet future facility and educational needs of its students.

In September, the superintendent and his administration laid out the final pieces of information and timeline that would allow a new school bond to hit the February 2015 ballot.

Thursday, October 9, 2014, is the deadline for the board to make a motion and vote on the conceptual proposal for that bond. But first it will hear updated enrollment projections from the district’s demographer and public comment.

School Board President Geoff Doy said it is expected there will be a motion and vote to move forward with a bond concept. With a bond concept in place, district administration would then construct a formal bond resolution to bring to the board at its October 23rd meeting.

For almost two years the board has been discussing a comprehensive bond that would 1) rebuild and enlarge Mount Si High School for 2,100 – 2,400 students; 2) Reopen Snoqualmie Middle School; 3) Build at new elementary school on Snoqualmie Ridge; and 4) Make needed upgrades and improvements at all other SVSD buildings. The cost of the bond is estimated to be around $225 million.

At the September 25th meeting, Board Member Tavish MacLean commented that it was time [as a community] to move forward with a facilities solution that addresses the capacity needs of the district. Board members were met with some resistance from audience members who stated they were moving too fast when it came to the high school, wanting to know what the new building might look like and how the space would be laid out.

Doy commented during the meeting that the board’s job of determining a bond solution to address all K-12 critical capacity needs was nearly finished – and from there it would be handed over to the district’s educational experts, who would determine how the building would look, work and function.

The district has assembled a High School Envisioning Committee to help determine how a rebuilt high school would function educationally. The committee will continue to meet during the envisioning and design process.

For now, it looks like October 9th is the date when the school board will at last make a decision as to what the next SVSD school bond will be conceptually. If approved, a formal bond resolution is expected to be presented to the board at its October 23rd meeting.  With resolution approval, the bond will be put out to voters in 2015

The School Board meets Thursday, October 9, 2014, at 6:30PM at Snoqualmie City Hall, 38625 SE River Street.

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SVSD School Board back row left to right: Dan Popp, Marci Busby, Tavish MacLean, Geoff Doy and Carolyn Simpson with Superintendent Aune and 2014 student board reps.

 

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