In four short weeks, Enumclaw School District voters will decide the fate of another bond measure that would fund a new elementary school and various other district repairs and upgrades.
The ESD School Board voted last July to place the $103 million bond issue in front of voters for the Nov. 7 general election, just a few months after the local community voted three-to-one against a previous bond measure.
Ballots will be mailed to voters on Oct. 18.
If approved by a supermajority (60%) of voters, the new bond measure will fund the creation of a new Byron Kibler Elementary and J. J. Smith Birth to Five Center on the current J. J. Smith plot of land, as well as district-wide safety and security upgrades and other maintenance projects.
Broken down, the school building is expected to cost nearly $90 million on its own.
The district has argued that replacing the aging buildings is critical for young students; Kibler, which was built in 1953, and J.J. Smith, which was built in 1957, and neither received any major overhaul since their construction (Kibler received $763,000 in repair funds from a 1997 bond, but a 2003 and 2004 bond, which would have provided more than $10 million for a “complete modernization” of the building was not approved by voters).
“These facilities have reached the end of their lifespan and currently require significant funding and resources to maintain and to provide safe, functional, learning spaces for students,” ESD wrote on a webpage about the bond, noting that Kibler was built with a 40-year life span in mind. “Due to their age and the rapid deterioration we are experiencing, the board recognizes the need to rebuild these facilities.”
While designs will only be crafted if a bond is passed, the district aims for the new school to increase elementary school student capacity from 450 to 550, and the new Birth To Five Center would have a separate capacity of a minimum of 200 students, which is up from the current capacity of 168.
Maintenance projects include “critical mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and structural upgrades” at other buildings, the webpage reads, and will cost roughly $9.8 million.
Finally, safety and security upgrades — which includes enhancing entrance and access controls at other school buildings, constructing additional fencing with student walkways, adding cameras for inside and outside monitoring, upgrading fire panels, and more — will come with a $3.2 million price tag.
DOLLARS AND CENTS
Passing the $103 million bond will add 67 cents to the school district’s overall property tax rate, increasing it from $2.60 to $3.27 per $1,000 in assessed property value (the combined rate includes levies and previous bonds passed by voters).
For those who don’t want to to the math, that means the annual property taxes for someone with $500,000 in property will increase from $1,300 to $1,635.
Property owners can check what their estimated tax bill would be by heading to enumclaw.wednet.edu/page/november-bond-2023.
A BLACK DIAMOND PROBLEM
The district’s last bond, which was on the February special election, bombed with 75% of the ballots rejecting it.
That $253 million bond would not have only funded a new Kibler/Birth To Five Center, but also a new Black Diamond Elementary School, a new Enumclaw High Performing Arts Center, and a new sports stadium.
After receiving feedback about that bond, the ESD Board of Directors came back with this $103 million proposal, removing the performing arts center, the stadium, and — maybe most importantly, the Black Diamond elementary school.
How the Black Diamond community will vote for this bond will only be known on election day, but if City Council members are any indication, ESD has steep uphill battle to fight.
“The rejection of Black Diamond’s needs does feel like a betrayal to the very people who are also paying into the school districts that are now listening to the loudest voices in the room rather than doing what is right by our youth,” said Kristiana de Leon. “… After all, it’s ignorant to think that not building a Black Diamond school wouldn’t impact Enumclaw proper residents one way or another.”
“The Enumclaw School district is unique in that it doesn’t serve just one city like most school districts, but it serves 3 different steak holders; The city of Enumclaw, rural King County and the city of Black Diamond. Each area has different needs and diverse populations from the others and each has different identities from the others. But we are one school district,” Leih Mulvihill said during and ESD Board meeting. “Please keep in mind that any bond that does not include Black Diamond will not pass without the support of rural Kind County and Black Diamond families.”
“It is unfortunate the District moved forward with this version of the bond, and while I don’t know the source of the signs in Black Diamond though they seem representative of the conversations I have had with residents,” said Debbie Page, reffering to signs in the city that read “No BD School? No ESD Bond!”
“Going forward, it is my hope that the District works together with all their stakeholders, including unincorporated King County, Black Diamond, and Enumclaw voters to create a bond that people can get behind,” she continued. “Our kids deserve it.”
