Great Editorial But Marysville Bond Not Passing

Published: Friday, May 13, 2005

Not a preference, now it's a need

Please vote yes in the Marysville School District School bond election on Tuesday. I am a parent of three children who went through the Marysville schools from kindergarten through high school graduation. The last is graduating this June. Even though the passage of this bond issue will not directly impact my children, I am willing to vote for it and pay higher property taxes. The cost of the measure should not be the primary consideration for approval or denial. I also would like to point out that limited-income senior and disabled citizens may be exempt from paying.

For years I have heard neighbors, friends and acquaintances complain about the overcrowding at the schools. We all know new schools are no longer a preference in Marysville, but a critical need. Approximately 3,510 students are being educated in portables. Classrooms are being made out of storage rooms and locker bays. Realtors report that they are hearing from potential homebuyers that Marysville is not considered a school-supportive community. Families are hesitant to move here. If this continues, all of our property values will go down.

An article in The Herald focused on a 32-year teacher at Cascade Elementary who was also a second-grader at Cascade when it opened. It was a powerful picture of the age of the school. How many Marysville citizens live in 50-year-old homes? Cascade, Liberty and other Marysville schools lack the basic needs of adequate plumbing, heating and electrical systems.

As parents, we correctly expect our schools to educate our children to become competitive, knowledgeable members of society. Please send a message of support toward this goal by voting to approve the Marysville School District construction and renovation bond measure on Tuesday.

Tracy Harper

Marysville

-------------------------------------

School bond results unclear
Granite Falls leaders were hopeful, but Marysville leaders were less positive.

By Eric Stevick
Herald Writer

School leaders in Granite Falls were hopeful their bond measure would pass Tuesday night, but Marysville was less optimistic in early returns.

School construction bonds require a 60 percent supermajority to pass, and Granite Falls was slightly above that mark. The Granite Falls bond measure will be determined by absentee ballots. Marysville was close to 58 percent, and Superintendent Larry Nyland said chances were "very slim" of it passing.

There are about 800 absentee ballots between the school districts that were not counted Tuesday, said Carolyn Diepenbrock, election manager for Snohomish County.

Here is a look at each measure:

Marysville

Marysville was seeking a $171 million bond measure that would finance construction of a second high school for 1,600 students, renovate Marysville-Pilchuck High School, add a new elementary school and pay to replace Cascade and Liberty elementary schools on their existing campuses.

It would also buy land for future enrollment growth, repair existing schools, upgrade technology and make high school stadium and field improvements.

Marysville appeared to be faring better Tuesday than it had in two previous attempts to pass bonds in 2003.

Citizens for Marysville Schools ran a highly visible campaign. The volunteer group stood on street corners, posted hundreds of signs, knocked on doors, made hundreds of phone calls and passed out brochures in grocery store parking lots.

Chris Nation, a local business owner and father of school-age children, waved his pro-bond sign from the corner of Fourth Street and State Avenue at 5 a.m. Tuesday. He returned for afternoon rush hour traffic with his son, Conner, 8.

Nation has spent five years on the district's facilities committee, and said the need to build is now.

"Every time we postpone it, the cost goes up," he said. "Not only does the cost go up, but the needs increase, too."

The bond would levy $1.32 per $1,000 of assessed value. That would add $264 a year, or $22 a month, to property taxes for a $200,000 home. Marysville, which hasn't passed a school bond measure in 15 years, has the lowest level of bond indebtedness among school districts in Snohomish County.

Granite Falls

Backers of the $30 million bond say a new high school will solve the district's overcrowding problems, from kindergarten through high school, for years to come.

The plan is to build a new high school and convert the existing high school into a middle school, Superintendent Joel Thaut said. Granite Falls Middle School would be converted into a third elementary school.

The Granite Falls bond proposal would cost taxpayers $1.44 per $1,000 of assessed value, which would add $288 a year, or $24 a month, to the property tax bill for a $200,000 home.

A new high school would serve 800 students, with the ability to expand to 1,200. Granite Falls High School now has about 700 students. Nine years ago, there were about 400.

The new high school would be built next to Monte Cristo Elementary School on 100th Street NE on district-owned land. It would include 38 classrooms, five science labs, two business technology labs, two library and media technology labs, and a performing arts center for 500 people. The gym would seat 1,200.

The state is expected to contribute $9 million to $10 million for the cost of the new high school.

Reporter Eric Stevick: 425-339-3446 or stevick@heraldnet.com.