Facilities committee recommends bond

WHITE SALMON — Potential bond and levy measures have been a discussion mainstay at recent White Salmon Valley School District (WSVSD) board meetings, and October’s was no exception.

Superintendent Rich Polkinghorn said WSVSD’s Facilities Planning Committee has unanimously recommended the district consolidate its schools and pursue a $77.8 million bond in February’s special election.

“It supports that one campus, two school model we’ve been looking at,” he said. “There are several reasons why we like this [model] — primarily, it allows us to bring much more operational efficiency, it aligns with our enrollment projections, and it allows us to maximize the state contribution to this project as well.”

As previously reported by Columbia Gorge News, the redesign will cost an estimated $112,068,624, but the district’s portion would be around $77,658,568 because it qualifies for as much as $35 million in state capital funding this school year.

“This district has done a wonderful job in maintaining its facilities,” said Board Chair Peter Harkema. “But we’ve got facilities that are long past their usable life. And frankly, the chickens are coming home to roost. We need to invest in our facilities, now.”

Two more levies are also up for renewal. The first, the Educational Programs & Operations (EP&O) levy for ongoing programs and operations, brings in about $3.6 million annually.

“Without that, we’d be in a world of hurt,” Polkinghorn said, noting the levy provides critical funding for smaller classes sizes, curriculum adoptions, and afterschool programs, among many others. “It would mean significant reductions across the district in multiple areas [without it].”

During the meeting, Polkinghorn estimated the bond rate would be $1.74 per $1,000 tax assessment value, and the EP&O levy $1.75 per $1,000; however, in the weeks since, those numbers have been updated to lower rates of $1.66 (bond) and $1.61 (levy). Both would appear as a separate item on the ballot.

The capital levy is also up for renewal — the current rate is about 48-cents per $1,000 tax assessed value, bringing in approximately $1 million per year. But, Polkinghorn said, “I think if we go out for all three [bond and levies], that’s going to be a big ask for our community.”

If the bond passes, capital projects would still be funded through bond revenues while reducing the total tax burden on the community, he said.

“If we don’t pass the bond and don’t have the capital levy, then I still think we’re strategically positioned well with the amount of money in our capital fund to allow us to float that for a few years and then consider going out again for either the bond or going out for the capital levy later,” Polkinghorn said.

“As a community member, I’ve told people around me for a long time that we should almost be ashamed of how little we support our schools in taxes compared to all the districts I work with around the state,” said Mark Prussing, Underwood resident and Educational Service District 112 financial analyst who was present at the meeting. “For me, personally, it’s going to impact my taxes quite a bit as well, but it’s time to pony up and do what other districts do around our state and provide the facilities that the kids need.”

The board is expected to finalize its bond and levy resolutions in November, ahead of the Feb. 10 election.

 •••

Our journalism needs your support. Visit columbiagorgenews.com to read more and subscribe today.