Residential growth does not equal student population growth. The Battle Ground board/district has/have claimed that the residential growth is leading to overcrowding.
In the 2015-17 years there were 2,068 residential permits issued in the Battle Ground school district. Using an average of 0.45 children per household, there should have been 838 new students. In 2014/15 there were 13,564 students. At the end of the 2016/17 year there were 13,498 (this data comes from Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction). That’s a loss of 66 students instead of a growth of 838. Where is the overcrowding?
Replacement campuses — Glenwood/Laurin should be replaced. Pleasant Valley could be remodeled or replaced. A new primary/elementary on 152nd? There is no data to support it. Period.
In the mailer they “imply” overcrowding by saying that Glenwood was built for 484 but now has 800. Pleasant Valley was built for 993 and has 1,139. What they are counting on is that you won’t understand that a school can only be built for the number of students at the time. Any growth requires adding space thus increasing the original number. There is no capacity rating per campus. They imply overcrowding by using the “built for” vs “has.” That is not honest.
Bond uses (non-campus replacement) — they want to spend north of $10 million on flooring and locks and other expenses that should have been paid out of the Maintenance and Operations Levy. Borrowing money paid back over 21 years for items that will be long gone before the bill is paid is bad financial management.
Are you aware that only about 10 percent of the levy money is actually used on maintenance and operations? Over the past 10 years as much as 50 percent of the asset protection budget has been redirected. When you skimp on maintenance, facilities fail, with the result being — a bond request.
Are there things in the bond that should be replaced? Yes. However, there are more items that aren’t needed or should be paid for out of M&O. Look at the list of projects and rate them as needed, nice to have and unneeded. If your balance sheet tips to the nice and unneeded then vote no. By voting no you are telling the school board that they need to ask for the essentials, not fix problems they created.
One final item — taxes. The new increase in the state school property tax has gone from $1.98/$1,000 to $2.90/$1,000. If your home is the median price ($346,000) your taxes are going up over $300 in 2018 even without this bond.
You can find full details and data by visiting the Facebook page — No on Battle Ground School Capital Bond Feb. 13 2018.
