As a 33-year resident and parent living on a fixed income on Education Hill, my wife and I had a hard time stomaching the one billion dollar 2014 combined school bond measures – even if it meant our house would increase in value. We were very concerned about our property taxes drastically going up and the district’s record of building posh schools. Of course our schools were seriously overcrowded in 2014. Today, overcrowding has reached crisis levels
When Superintendent (Dr. Traci) Pierce announced the $398 million April 2016 bond measure we found it digestible and our concerns about property taxes and expensive schools were addressed, as follows: 1) The measure will maintain 2015 tax rates; 2) Seven principles for designing practical, cost effective schools will be implemented. And yes, the severe overcrowding will be tackled by building three new schools with increased capacity and rebuilds/enlargements at Juanita High School, Mead and Kirkland Elementary Schools – all for the price of $398 million.
Eric Campbell – a Kirkland parent and developer – described the District’s 7 principles for building practical, cost effective schools at a recent Education Hill neighborhood meeting. Some of the highlights: 1) The district will save money by eliminating or minimizing one-story designs; 2) Aesthetics will be pleasing but not based on award-winning architectural designs; and 3) buildings will be designed in a more compact manner i.e. box/cube. New schools will be cost-effective and practical while providing teachers and students the space they need to learn and thrive.
If you’d like an added “push” this April, the measure calls for a new elementary school in north Redmond that is expected to reduce morning and dismissal traffic congestion on 166th Avenue (since many of the Rockwell students will go to the new school). Also, if the proposed middle school on Redmond Ridge is built, some traffic mitigation is likely on the Avondale corridor.
Please vote for the April 2016 Bond measure.
Bob Yoder, Redmond
Editor’s note: The first ballot measure was $750 million.
