Expensive special elections: vote no on Battle Ground Public Schools bond

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$200,000 is what the February 13 “special election” for the Battle Ground School Bond cost according to the County Elections Board. It is estimated that the cost of the April 24 special election for the Battle Ground School bond will be $135,000. This doesn’t include the cost of putting this bond on the ballot in November, 2016. No measure should be allowed to be on a ballot more than once in a calendar year and special elections are way too costly. A special election should be for more than one item and it should be something that can’t wait until the next election. A no vote on this bond will send a message, hopefully.

No, this school bond won’t cost just $20 a month, it will cost me about $41 a month or about $500 a year and I have an average home. The school graduation rate is low compared to other districts in Washington state and the reading and math scores are very low too. As a financial analyst for 20 years I know that throwing money at a problem never works. If charter schools take hold in this area we may not need all those classrooms. The school district is counting on this region growing and increasing the need for more classrooms. The area I moved from had charter schools come in and they had to close two large schools in that area.

Property taxes are very high in this state and although the proponents of the school bond don’t think it’s a big deal, it is for many homeowners who are on fixed incomes. Retirees don’t get raises and for most they cannot go to work to pay for this bond. Taxes go up most years because property taxes are based on the value of the property and that value goes up every year, so taxes will go up substantially with this bond. For me the cost will be $250 twice a year plus the increase in property tax for the increase in value.



A message to the school district? Go back to the drawing board and determine what you really need for our schools without all the bells and whistles. Putting a measure on the ballot until it passes is just an expensive game and wishful thinking. Send a message about playing games with expensive “special elections” and vote no on the Battle Ground school bond.