The Snohomish School District, in its commitment to excellence, places the success of each student at the center of all decisions and actions. Partnerships and strong academic programs ensure competent, responsible, lifelong learners.

School Bond on the May 20, 2008 Ballot:
The March 11 school bond received 57.16% approval, which is short of the 60% supermajority approval that is required of school bonds. (“Simple majority” applies only to school levies).

Once it became clear that the measure was unlikely to pass, the school district quickly scheduled a series of opportunities to listen to our community, including three community forums, a community survey, and meetings with staff and parent groups. While we heard a variety of viewpoints, the input overwhelmingly recommended re-running the measure as soon as possible.

The school board engaged in a lengthy and thoughtful consideration of all the feedback and options, and decided to run the same measure, unchanged, on the May 20, 2008 ballot. Ballots for the May 20 election will be mailed around May 1st.

Why did the board decide to run the same measure again?
 - The proposal was developed by a large, representative citizens committee; and, if approved, the bond would fund the second phase of a well-researched, comprehensive 15-year facilities plan.

- Members of the school board noted the amount of feedback, as well as their own opinions, about the importance of completing the SHS renovation so that both our high schools offer an equitable education experience.

- Feedback from the community was overwhelmingly in favor of re-running the same measure. Many people who shared their input with the school board noted confusion around the March 11 bond election, particularly about the all-mail ballot, the proximity of the March election to the February primary, and the supermajority requirement for bonds.

- During their public worksession, the school board also talked at some length about the unique school finance opportunity we have right now. Due to the structure of our previous bonds and the upcoming expiration of the 2006 bus levy, the proposed 2008 bond would not increase the local school tax rate. If the board were to wait until next year to re-run the measure, the district would not be able to maintain a flat tax rate.

Background Information:
Last year, the school board appointed a Citizens' Facilities Advisory Committee (CFAC) to update the facilities plan and determine which projects should be included in phase two.
Their final report to the board is posted here (pdf).

The school board approved the citizens’ recommendations as presented and placed a school bond measure on the March 11 ballot. Click here for facts about the proposal.

Snohomish School District #201
1601 Avenue D, Snohomish, WA 98290
(360) 563-7300

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