Board needs to increase levy to make needed repairs

Published 11:26 am Tuesday, February 16, 2016

The school bond that just failed included $1.2 million for necessary repairs — a new roof, replacing a failing HVAC system, replacing windows that fall out of their frames and more. Without the bond, the district has just $130,000 each year for projects like these. The school board could increase that to about $400,000 per year to begin chipping away at a $4.5 million backlog that has developed over decades, but it won’t do it unless you urge it to.

The board will vote at their next meeting on Feb. 23 whether to increase the amount for major repairs in the Capital & Technology Levy, which is a four-year levy that is due for renewal. At their meeting this week, the board members present were reluctant to increase the levy. One board member worried the levy would not pass if it were increased. What? Fifty-three percent of islanders voted in favor of the $26.9 million dollar capital bond, but it required a super-majority of 60 percent to pass. How could a $1.2 million levy for major repairs, computers and technology possibly fail?

Tell the board to be good stewards of district assets and give the Vashon community the opportunity to increase money that is urgently needed for our school facilities. We don’t want the aging HVAC system in Building K to fail in mid-winter so our alternative education students go without heat until it can be replaced. We don’t want windows at McMurray Middle School falling out of their frames. We want essential repairs made to our school buildings.

You can show up at the board meeting at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 23, on the third floor of Chautauqua, or you can email the superintendent at m.soltman@vashonsd.org, and he will pass your message to the board.

— Laura Wishik