PORT TOWNSEND — Bond measures that would fund renovations at the two largest school districts in East Jefferson County appear headed for the Feb. 9 ballot.
The Port Townsend School Board unanimously approved a ballot measure Monday while the Chimacum School District will complete its request at a special meeting at 7:45 a.m. Dec. 1 in the administration building, 91 W. Valley Road.
The Port Townsend measure asks for $40,977,588 to build a new facility to replace the aging Grant Street Elementary School as well as making improvements in safety, security and disabled access at the Port Townsend School.
The Chimacum School Board will consider a $29,100,000 bond measure “for the purpose of providing funds for capital improvements to the facilities of the district and authorizing the superintendent to submit a request for the Washington State School District Credit Enhancement Program,” according to the draft resolution.
District officials have said they plan to add to the Chimacum Creek Primary School and build new athletic facilities.
Officials also have said that the improvements would be less extravagant than those proposed and defeated by voters last February.
Both districts plan to reconfigure their grade structures once construction is completed, and follow a more traditional format, with kindergarten through fifth grades in the elementary school, sixth through eighth grades in middle school and ninth through 12th grades at the high school.
Currently the Chimacum Primary School houses K-2 and the elementary school grades are from third through fifth.
Port Townsend’s Grant Street Elementary houses grades K-3, with fourth and fifth graders moving to Blue Heron Middle School.
The hope is that facilities in both districts could be ready for the 2018-19 school year, according to the respective superintendents.
“We would want to do it as soon as we could, but it’s dependent on permitting and the weather,” Chimacum Superintendent Rick Thompson said.
“This is a big project but it is not especially complicated since the school was designed for expansion and we are using the same architect for the addition,” he added.
Bond issues require voter approval by 60 percent plus one vote in areas where the number of votes returned is at least 40 percent of the total vote in last year’s election.
Chimacum, with 8,744 registered voters, will need to draw at least 1,817 votes.
Port Townsend, with 11,472 registered voters will need 2,675 voters to return a ballot to validate the election.
If voters approve the measures, the property tax levies would begin in 2017.
In Port Townsend, a levy rate of $1.24 per $1,000 assessed property value would be expected to be required for 20 years to finance the bond.
Property owners are now paying a levy of 54 cents per $1,000 assessed value for a capital improvements levy that will be retired in 2016.
That means that the new measure, if approved, would results in a net increase for capital improvements of 70 cents per $1,000 assessed value.
Approval of the bond measure would mean that the annual property tax for a $150,000 property would increase by $105, the school district said.
In Chimacum, a levy rate of $1.26 per $1,000 assessed property value would be expected to be required for 20 years to finance the bond.
Approval of the bond measure would mean that the annual property tax for a $150,000 property would increase by $189, the school district said.
Both superintendents have advocated the bond during its preparation but are not now allowed to state a public opinion for or against.
“It’s a political arena now. I can provide facts but cannot state a preference,” said Port Townsend Superintendent David Engle.
“Unfortunately I’m 24/7, which means that any conversation I have is public.”
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Jefferson County Editor Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or cbermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
