CHIMACUM — A $7.95 million replacement levy for Chimacum School District capital improvements will be on the Aug. 7 primary election ballot.
The School Board voted Wednesday to put the measure before voters. If approved, it would replace a six-year capital levy for the same amount.
A capped levy amount of $1.325 million each year would be collected for six years, from 2019 thorough 2024. The estimated levy rate for 2018 is $0.677 per $1,000 of assessed valuation, $0.664 per $1,000 in 2019, $0.651 per $1,000 in 2020, $0.638 per $1,000 in 2021, $0.626 per $1,000 in 2022, and $0.614 per $1,000 in 2023.
Levy revenue would be restricted to capital improvements of facilities, technology and safety and could not be used for other expenditures such as teachers’ salaries.
Superintendent Rick Thompson said the district needs to invest in infrastructure that is in disrepair.
Levy, not a bond
“This is not a bond, this is a levy,” he said. “There is no long-term interest debt. This provides capital that we can continue to invest in our buildings and we don’t have to take it out of the general teaching and learning fund.”
The district would use the funds to improve its facilities through construction, renovation, improvement and expansion of new and existing facilities, Thompson said.
Items targeted in the plan include roofing, building exteriors renovations, upgrades to HVAC systems, upgrades to electrical and lighting systems, and implementation of technology improvements.
Additionally, the plan includes safety and security improvements and renovations to Chi4acum High School, Chimacum Middle School Chimacum Elementary and Chimacum Creek Primary and the bus barn.
Long-range planning for other facilities’ improvements are addressed in the plan.
“We have over 200,000 square feet of space that 900 kids use,” Thompson said. “Our newest school is 20 years old. Our oldest building was built in 1948.”
Thompson said that an inspection of campuses by MENG Analysis of Seattle identified $50 million in needed improvements.
“This levy won’t solve it all,” Thompson said. “I think the goal is to invest in buildings that are worth repairing and improving.
Thompson said the high school and middle school are in pretty good shape but that the Primary School needs work and the maintenance building — the district’s oldest building — is in “serious disrepair.”
In addition, “our multipurpose room is one of our older buildings and it is going to take some money to repair it. The floor is wearing out.”
Safety concerns also would be addressed.
“We’re stressing safety issues — like crash bars on doors, hardware, locks. Security cameras have been installed but we would like to expand that. There is overwhelming support for this effort throughout the district.”
He said HVAC and electrical upgrades are very expensive and that includes such safety items as fire systems.
“We don’t have a separate technology levy for this district,” Thompson said. “It comes out of the capital levy and includes desktops, laptops, servers, network infrastructure, phone and communication systems. Our IT guy is retrofitting what we have but we do need to make some investments.”
Thompson noted that schools are public spaces.
“We need to keep our students safe. We need to invest in these facilities.”
To find out more, see www.CSD49.org.
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Jefferson County Editor/reporter Jeannie McMacken can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at jmcmacken@peninsuladailynews.com.
