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Ballot measures

February 14, 2012 Special election

Federal Way School District No. 210

Proposition No. 2
Capital Projects Levy

The Board of Directors of Federal Way School District No. 210 adopted Resolution No. 2011-42 authorizing the capital projects levies. This levy funds the replacement of Federal Way High School and other capital improvements to educational facilities of the District, and authorizes the following excess levies on all taxable property within the District:



Collection Years

Approximate
Levy Rate/$1,000 Assessed Value


Levy
Amount

2013

$0.74

$ 7,900,000

2014

$0.77

$ 8,300,000

2015

$0.82

$ 8,900,000

2016

$0.87

$ 9,600,000

2017

$1.10

$12,400,000

2018

$1.12

$12,900,000



Should this proposition be approved?

YES

NO


Passage of Proposition No. 2 will allow the levy of property taxes over a six-year period to rebuild and renovate Federal Way High School.  Originally built in 1929, the building has been expanded and renovated over the last 80 years.  This $60 million levy represents about half of the total budget required.  The remaining balance will be funded by state school construction assistance funds and other capital funds.  In addition, the anticipated state school construction assistance will be used to replace and update elementary playgrounds and implement a district-wide security camera installation to safeguard our buildings, staff and students.  More details can be found at http://www.fwps.org/info/levy/capital_levy.html

 

Passage of Proposition No. 2 will allow the levy of property taxes within the District for collection in the amounts of $7,900,000 in 2013, $8,300,000 in 2014, $8,900,000 in 2015, $9,600,000 in 2016, $12,400,000 in 2017, and $12,900,000 in 2018.   If authorized by the voters, such property taxes would be collected at a rate estimated to be $0.74 per $1,000 of assessed valuation in 2013, $0.77 per $1,000 of assessed valuation in 2014, $0.82 per $1,000 of assessed valuation in 2015, $0.87 per $1,000 of assessed valuation in 2016, $1.10 per $1,000 of assessed valuation in 2017 and $1.12 per $1,000 of assessed valuation in 2018.  The exact levy rate shall be adjusted based upon the actual assessed value of property within the District at the time of the levy.

No statement was submitted prior to the deadline.

There is no doubt that the current Federal Way High School is in need of replacement.

 

Before committing ourselves to a $110-million capital expenditure, we believe that far more realistic planning is needed. School Management and Planning placed the median cost for comparable high schools nationwide to be around $45,000,000. FWPS cost analysis does not demonstrate that proper planning was implemented in preparing the Capital Levy request.

 

Two of the more recent examples of lack of proper planning and implementation by the FWPS administration includes the ongoing Power Standards debacle and the construction of Todd Beamer High School. Todd Beamer’s appraisal by academic and vocational standards has turned out to be a major disappointment, not the promised positive community factor. Does the school board want to build a second sub-mediocre school?

 

We believe that a community-wide public discussion is needed to determine the scope of the new high school, and that principal employers such as, Boeing, Paccar, Healthcare and Microsoft – as  well as challenging academic institutions such as Whitman College – be included in such discussions.

 

For a detailed analysis of the academic and employer success rates of Federal Way Schools we would encourage you to visit  www.Citizens4BetterFWSchools.org.

Federal Way SD worked extensively with staff, students and industry experts in visioning FWHS rebuild. Budget costs of $110-millon are based on $265 per square foot, the average of all high schools built in Washington in the past five years. If this Capital Levy is passed at this time, almost half of the construction cost will be funded with state match funds and taxpayers can save an estimated $29-million in interest. More information – www.yesforfwschools.org/campaign.html.


Statement submitted by: Kelley Tanner and Lori DeVore
tankelbus@gmail.com

Building a high school that improves student outcomes is not like changing the design of a soup can label.

 

2011 High School Construction - Sq. Ft./Student

 

FWPS Proposal:140; National Median: 156.3; High Quartile: 187.5.

 

Cost/ Sq. Ft.

 

FWPS Proposal: $265.00; National Median: $188.68; High Quartile: $252.50.

 

An undersized school  at a high cost per square foot? Before attaching a price tag, shouldn't we  decide what the new building is supposed to do?  Vote No.


Statement submitted by: Charlie Hoff and Kurt Peppard

Simple Majority (Wash. Const. art. VII, sec. 2(a))
1250 en-US Production

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