New school buildings. A performing arts center. Even a brand-new sports stadium.
These are the three big-ticket items the Enumclaw School District has laid out in asking the local community what they are willing to pay for come the February 2023 special election, when a bond issue will be up for a vote.
Three scenarios that were presented to parents and community members in a June 3 message from Superintendent Dr. Shaun Carey, each building on the last. All were laid out in a 12-minute video you can watch at youtu.be/fu_Z6zrqSPE.
Public comment on the three scenarios can be made on the Thought Exchange platform at my.thoughtexchange.com/scroll/899950285/welcome; the platform allows for automatic translation of different languages, meaning anyone, theoretically, can express their thoughts and ideas, no matter what language they speak. The Thought Exchange session will end July 1.
Attempting to pass a bond may be an uphill battle for the district. A previous $68 million bond measure in April 2015, aimed at updating the southern classrooms at Enumclaw High and building a new Black Diamond Elementary, managed to secure supermajority (60 percent) approval, but only by four votes.
Additionally, the bond ended up not being able to pay for a new gym and performing arts center at the high school, angering some voters. Former Superintendent Mike Nelson said the miscalculation came from bad information given to the school board about actual construction costs (they were off by 30 percent in estimates provided to voters) and that the state miscommunicated how much matching funds it would provide to the district.
More recently, the district passed a levy last February with just about 51.3 percent approval. However, past levies passed with 56 percent of the vote, potentially signaling falling district support.
BOND SCENARIO 1
The first scenario presented to the public is what the district is calling its “essential and immediate needs” — construction and upgrades the District says “for the continued operation of the district and the functionality and safety of the facilities,” said PIO Jessica McCartney in an email interview.
The biggest items in this scenario include a new Byron Kibler Elementary, a new Birth to Five Center, and a new elementary located in Black Diamond’s Ten Trails development.
Kibler — built in 1953 — and J.J. Smith Elementary — built in 1957 and houses the Birth to Five Center — “are nearing the end of their life span, and currently require significant funding and resources to maintain and to provide safe, functional learning spaces for our students,” said ESD’s Director of Business Kyle Fletcher in the video presentation. “Addressing these aged facilities is an immediate need.”
The current plan is to demolish the Kibler and J.J. Smith buildings to construct a whole new elementary and Birth to Five Center on the J.J. Smith property.
“This would allow for both school facilities to share some common amenities, including gym, lunch room, transportation, and play facilities,” Fletcher said.
Then there’s the new elementary school in Black Diamond; according to the district, there has been “consistent growth in student enrollment” coming from the Ten Trails area since homes started being built in 2018, necessitating in a new school to accomodate the rising student population.
Roughly 1,000 homes have been built out of the planned 6,000.
The school will be built just south of SE Auburn Black Diamond Road in the Ten Trails development, nestled between the loop created by SE Dogwood Street, Evergreen Avenue SE, Chestnut Avenue SE, and Ten Trails Parkway. ESD bought the land from developer Oakpointe in December 2021.
The district noted that current and planned growth in Enumclaw compounds the need for an additional school building.
Other necessities include various security, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and structural/architectural system upgrades to the district’s other seven educational buildings and transportation and administration facilities; roofing, siding, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, basic tech, audio/visual, and stage upgrades to the Enumclaw High auditorium; a replacement fastpitch field across the street from the Osborne field; a new Thunder Mountain Middle School softball/baseball field (TMMS students have had to be bussed to Boise Creek for their games ever since the school was built in 2000); upgrades to the Pete’s Pool stadium grandstands, restrooms, and storage facilities; upgrades to the districts secondary track facilities.
If that sounds like a lot of expensive work — well, that’s because it is; the estimated total cost of Scenario 1 is $175 million.
On its own, the estimated tax rate for Scenario 1 is $$1.16 per $1,000 in assessed property value.
However, combined with the current EP&O Levy tax, the current Technology Levy tax, and the remaining tax from the 2015 bond, the estimated total tax rate is $4.18.
For someone that owns $600,000 in property, this would calculate out to be $2,508 in annual property taxes.
BOND SCENARIO 2
The second bond option parents are being asked to consider is everything outlined in Scenario 1 plus a new performing arts center at Enumclaw High.
According to the district, if the community shows its support for this scenario, ESD would not spend money on any upgrades to the current auditorium.
Adding a new performing arts center would bump the total estimated cost to $215 million.
Individually, Scenario 2’s estimated tax rate is $1.42 per $1,000 in assessed value, but added with previous bonds and levies, the estimated total is $4.44.
This would spell out about $2,664 in annual property taxes for someone with $600,000 in property.
BOND SCENARIO 3
This scenario is shooting for the moon, asking voters to consider not only the districts essential needs and a new performing arts center, but a brand-new stadium as well.
“This would allow our district and community to have state-of-the-art athletics facilities that would allow us to have a reliable location for graduation of students, increase seating capacity for all events, including athletics and graduation, increased safety, and access for all students due to the location on district property, locker rooms and facilities for students, and equitable access to facilities for people, ADA viewers and girls and boys teams,” the district said in the presentation.
The stadium wouldn’t just support the Hornet football team, but track, soccer, lacrosse, and Unified Sports, McCartney added.
“The current thinking is to place the stadium on the district-owned property between Sunrise and Boise Creek Park. At this point in the planning process, the board is seeking initial thoughts, feedback, and interest level in a stadium,” she continued. “More details related to the structure and location will be provided if, after receiving the input from the community, the board decides to pursue Scenario 3.”
Adding a new football stadium to the mix brings the total estimated cost up to $240 million.
The individual estimated tax rate for Scenario 3 is $1.58 per $1,000 in assessed value, but the total tax rate is expected to be around $4.60.
This works to be roughly $2,760 in annual property taxes for someone with $600,000 in property.
