INFORMATION:
It talkes 60% "yes" to pass.

School funding

Voter Information

Important message from a fellow parent

"YES" article aboout the 2008 bond

The bond Takes 60% "yes" to pass:

In November of 2007, voters in the state of Washington passed Initiative 4204, which amended the state constitution to provide for a simple majority of voters voting to authorize a school levy.  A supermajority of 60 percent “yes” vote is still required for school bonds.

Where does Evergreen get its money and how do they spend it?
The day to day expenditures for the district are paid for out of the General Fund.  Sources of revenue for the General Fund are as follows:  State revenues (74 percent), local tax dollars (15 percent), federal revenues (8 percent) and other sources such as fees (e.g., building rentals, fines, and donations) (3 percent).

How is school construction financed in the state of Washington?
Three revenue sources exist to fund the cost of school construction: local bonds, state matching funds, and school impact fees.  State matching funds are only provided if a school district passes a bond.  The state match amount is a fixed-dollar figure, with local bonds and school impact fees filling the remaining gap in funding.  The amount of state dollars allocated to a district is based on eligibility and priority.  A complicated formula is applied to every request submitted; the list of state requests is continually reprioritized with each new request that is submitted.  In the past, our requests have not been ranked high enough to receive funds when needed.  The problem here is twofold:  1) the priority system used by the state does not favor larger, faster-growing districts like ours; and 2) there is not enough state school construction money to fund all projects.  Receipt of state matching funds is contingent on passage of a local bond and the availability of state dollars.

For Evergreen’s proposed six-year facilities plan funded by approval of this bond, state dollars will fund approximately 30 percent of total costs, local bond dollars will fund 60 percent and school impact fees will fund 10 percent.  The higher a district’s school impact fee collection, the lower the local bond amount will be.
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Voter Information:

How do I register to vote and by when do I need to register to vote?
To register and vote in Clark County you must be a U.S. citizen, at least 18 years old by the day of the next election, be a resident of Clark County and have full civil rights.

Voters may fill out a registration form and mail it to the County Elections Office.  Registration forms must be turned in at least 30 days prior to election day.  Voters may also register in person at the County Elections Office, 1500 D Street, in downtown Vancouver but they must do so at least 15 days before the election date.

Registration must be complete by May 5, 2008 in order to vote on the May 20, 2008 bond issue.  Registration packets are available from any Evergreen school or from the Administrative Service Center.  Voters may also register when applying for or renewing a driver’s license.

Is this a polling-place election or an all mail-in election?
All elections in Clark County are mail-in elections.

When will ballots be sent?
Evergreen voters can expect to receive a ballot in the mail approximately 20 days prior to election day. 

Important message from a fellow parent

Dear Fellow Parent,                                                                                         April 25, 2008

As parents ourselves, we know how busy you must be, but please take a few minutes to read this information on the upcoming Evergreen School Bond and consider how important this is for your child.  You will be receiving a ballot in the mail in early May asking you to vote on a very important school bond measure.

Our school district has grown by 2,800 students over the past 6 years and is expected to grow by another 2000 students in the next 6 years.  Our growth alone is bigger than the size of many school districts!  We need a new middle school, a new elementary school and more high school capacity.  The bond passed in 2002 allowed us to keep up with growth; passage of this bond would allow us to catch up with growth.  Although the Evergreen School Board has asked for, and received, a significant increase in impact fees on new home construction, these fees will cover less than 15% of the cost of new schools.  The bond will raise the money necessary to build these new schools.

In addition, passage of this bond would enable the district to replace three of the oldest elementary schools (built over 30 years ago).  It is more cost effective to replace these schools than it is to remodel them. This bond would replace Sifton, Image, and Marrion Elementaries.

What if it doesn’t pass?   There will be an impact on the general fund.  Money that today is used for classroom instruction will be diverted for major maintenance like roof repairs, heating and ventilation systems, etc.  It will have a negative impact on our kids’ educational quality.  With escalating construction costs it is estimated that each year of delay will cost at least an additional $20 million.

      We are asking you parent-to-parent to support this bond.  How?

• If you are a registered voter – vote YES!
• Talk to your friends and neighbors.  Tell them how important it is to support this bond!

A solid education is no longer an option for success – it’s a necessity.  Let’s give our kids the best shot at the future that we can.  Together we can pass this bond – our kids are counting on us!  Thank you.

Yours truly,
Andrea Keniston and Terri O’Hara Pacific and Mountain View parents and
Co-chairs, Evergreen Citizens for Schools
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"YES" article aboout the 2008 bond

At the March 11 School Board Meeting, Evergreen Public Schools’ Board of Directors unanimously voted to place a capital needs bond on the May 20 ballot. If approved, the $249,782,000 bond will pay to upgrade facilities to accommodate a 21st century education, manage growth to meet current needs, protect the community’s investment and create and maintain a safe and secure environment for students and staff.
Specifi c projects included in the bond are the replacement of Sifton, Marrion and Image Elementary Schools, a new middle and new elementary school, a Health and BioSciences Academy, a new elementary school building site, classrooms and provisions for full-day kindergarten, upgrades and enhancements to secondary science, replacement of musical instruments, classroom furnishings and all weather turf at the high schools.
Schuyler Hoss, president of Evergreen Public Schools’ Board of Directors said, “We decided to place this measure on the May 20 ballot because it is the most responsible choice to provide for a quality education for each student in Evergreen Public Schools. Rapid growth in Clark County and the popularity of Evergreen Public Evergreen Public Schools to place capital needs bond on May 20 ballot Schools has put extensive pressure on the district’s capital facilities and equipment.” He pointed out that the district has grown by 2,800 students since 2002.
“When voters approved our last bond in 2002, it allowed the district to keep up with facility needs. This bond will allow the district to catch up. This bond amount (combined with state matching funds and school impact fees) will address the district’s capital needs over the next six years. In other words, if this bond passes, the district will not go to the voters for a school facilities bond for at least the next six years,” Hoss said.
Hoss noted that he and his fellow school board members thought long and hard about running this size of bond in what appears to be tough economic times. “Over the past six months, my colleagues on the school board and I held numerous meetings to examine other options such as going with two bonds, one now and another in two or three years. Under this scenario, though, the total costs for the scope of work to be completed would be higher, as would the total tax burden,” Hoss said. He noted that running a bond all at once allows the district to avoid paying higher land and construction costs in the future and enables the district to take advantage of low market rates. “Just like homeowners save money on their mortgage by buying/refi nancing at a lower rate, the district (and taxpayers) save money by selling bonds at low interest rates,” he said.
“The school board also explored the option of waiting to run this bond,” Hoss said. “But delaying the bond at this time will lead to increased costs of the facility program with construction costs projected to increase annually at a rate of approximately 8 percent. A delay of one year would add an estimated $20 million to the cost of our bond program.”
It is projected that the $249.8 million bond will cost no more than 39 cents per every $1,000 of assessed value. For a median priced $250,000 home, the net increase in taxes will be $97.50 per year, or $8.13 per month.
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