We urge a Yes vote for this bond. It will provide a necessary new middle school to accommodate the increasing number of students and replace Cascade Middle School and Alpac Elementary.

Auburn School District administration’s prudent fiscal management, retiring debt, and on-time and on-budget construction demonstrate accountability to district voters. Based on these prudent fiscal policies, the impact to your tax rate will be $.81¢ per $1,000 of assessed value, or $37.13 per month on a $550,000 home.

District voters have time and again demonstrated overwhelming support for school funding; we ask you to again invest in the infrastructure of our schools to keep our children thriving. There is no relief or plan in place from Olympia for fully funding education in the state. Auburn has consistently invested in education and our students’ success – Please vote Yes for this bond to keep Auburn’s schools strong.

Submitted by: Cari Manry, Jason Wright, Maggie Keller, auburncitizens4schools@gmail.com

The district found pro committee members but no con committee members for the voters’ pamphlet. So I volunteered via the county to help provide some balance so that voters are presented with both sides of the issue – kinda like democracy.

The district’s cost analysis is about 150% too low. The owner of a property with a 2024 Tax Year AV of $550,000, can expect a tax obligation, for just this bond, of $1,200 per year on average for the next 22 years.

This bond is being run a year too early. The bond schedule shows taxes won’t start to be collected until 2026. Also, the Auburn SD should be moving away from high interest bonds and use well-planned, frugal, interest-free, 6-year, capital levies as other districts are practicing. The bond management company has estimated bond interest alone will be $459M on top of the advertised bond principal of $532M for an actual total to local property taxpayers of $991M.

And local property taxpayers are already on the hook to continue payments on the existing bond’s remaining total payments of $612M that won’t be paid off until 2040. For a logical, mathematically correct cost analysis, see BondNo.com

Submitted by: Jeff Heckathorn, BondNo.com

The voters in Auburn SD should not be swayed by out of district, out of county opinions and guessing at our community’s needs.

A capital levy is not practical in Auburn. The assessed value of the homes is not high enough to build these needed schools.. The District has spaced out bonds to keep the tax rate as level as possible. Please prioritize children by making sure they have a good learning environment. AuburnCitizens4schools@gmail.com

Submitted by: Cari Manry, Jason Wright, Maggie Keller, auburncitizens4schools@gmail.com

It is disconcerting to hear school districts using incorrect mathematics in their fiscal arguments for their own tax measures. This is why there are checks and balances such as pro and con committees. This is why legislators need to apply the Truth In Lending Act (TILA) policies to school district bonds and levies. Taxpayers deserve accurate information. We are not voting on guesstimated future tax rates. We are voting on amounts in dollars.

Submitted by: Jeff Heckathorn, BondNo.com

Download the full text of the resolution

60% yes vote and a minimum turnout of 40% of voters casting ballots in last general election (Washington Constitution, art. VII, sec. 2(b))

For questions about this measure, contact: Cindi Blansfield, Associate Superintendent, Business & Operations, (253) 931-4930, 2024bond@auburn.wednet.edu