Community’s vote of confidence will kick off 8 years of critical projects
April 19 update
King County Elections reports that the maintenance and construction bond is passing at exactly 70 percent. They will certify the results next week when all the ballots are counted.
Initial election returns on April 17 showed that the Issaquah School District’s maintenance and construction bond was approved by 69.17 percent—surpassing the required supermajority threshold (60 percent plus 1) by enough that officials are confident the measure will remain passing as late-return ballots are tallied through next week.
“I am so proud to serve in a community that values the future of its children this much,” said Dr. Steve Rasmussen. “Now we are ready to roll up our sleeves and get to work, being the best stewards possible for these funds to get our critical construction projects done on time and on budget to keep students learning in the highest-quality schools.”
The bond measure was for $219 million dollars, which will provide all major facility construction and repairs for the next eight years. The projects include:
- Critical maintenance and repairs for all facilities (replace failing roofs, windows, floors; renovate/repair aging heating, electrical, and mechanical systems; upgrade security and safety features, etc.).
- Expansion of job skills (relocate and renovate Tiger Mountain Community High School to provide more career and technical training for all students).
- Rebuilds of the oldest schools (Clark Elementary, Sunny Hills Elementary, and Issaquah Middle School, which are all between 50 and 60 years old).
- Future capacity and the learning environment: Modernize classrooms and accommodate growth in certain schools.
- Usability and safety: Meet the educational and extra-curricular growth and safety needs of middle-school fields and high-school stadiums.
The Issaquah School District Capital Projects team will begin prioritizing and scheduling bond projects immediately. Work will begin this summer on the most critical maintenance and repairs; it is also likely that some middle-school field projects will begin. Modernization work will continue from phase one to phase two seamlessly at Liberty High School and Maywood Middle School. Planning committees will form and convene this year or shortly thereafter at schools that will be rebuilt or expanded.
The initial election results on April 17 accounted for 32.85 percent of registered voters in the district, which was enough to meet validation requirements. As more mail-in ballots are counted, King County will continue to update the online results at 4:30 p.m. on weekdays through next Thursday. The election will be certified on Friday, April 27, with the final results posted online at 1 p.m.