Even though we are not a wealthy community, people in the Sultan School District have traditionally been very generous when it comes to our children’s education.
As far back as I remember, we have passed every school bond put before us. These bonds allow the school district to spend over and above the money it already receives from other governmental sources (for which we appropriately also pitch in). However, the bond we will vote on in February seems to be some sort of administrative wish list, mostly unneeded. Although every property in the district will be charged for this bond (owners and renters alike — with or without children in addition to all commercial properties — even businesses barely scraping by) only the wealthy among us can actually afford it.
I am told by the voter’s section of the auditor’s office that only the entity putting the bond on the ballot can elect to put out a voter’s pamphlet to educate the public on both facts pro and con. The Sultan School District elected not to do this and instead chooses only to educate you to their point of view as evidenced by the brochure recently mailed to us. Therefore, the fully educated voter is forced to really dig to get all the facts. This letter is an attempt to make this task a little easier. Also, please see infosultanschools.org/.
The brochure we recently received fails to state the following critical facts:
1). The bond is for a 25-year period of time, turning the total cost per household (if you live in a home on in the middle of the brochure’s scale) into $12,250.
2. The monthly cost per household will increase as the value of our homes increase.
3, Even though the enrollment in the high school may currently be up, overall enrollment in the district as a whole is less than the 2007 levels.
4. The enrollment in each school ebbs and flows. When the current high-schoolers graduate, there should be plenty of room in the high school because district enrollment overall is still well below pre-recession numbers.
5. The School District stopped collecting impact fees from new development in 2010, stating that due to the recession and drop in enrollment, they needed no new infrastructure. Impact fees the District charges for new construction remains at $0 today, yet they are asking us for this huge tax increase.
6. This bond will affect not only homeowners, but equally renters and local businesses (many of which are barely hanging on).
I do believe the continued maintenance of our current facilities is important. We recently passed an extension of a maintenance bond to fund this purpose. This new bond will be over and above the previous bond currently in place. This clearly means we cannot afford to maintain our current infrastructure. The passing of this huge infrastructure bond will necessitate even larger maintenance bonds in the future.
In order to properly educate our children do we really need a new performing arts center and new play field in addition to the facilities we already have for these purposes in both our schools and parks? I think the Sultan School District hopes voters hear “it’s for the kids” and will not investigate the details.
I seriously hope our over-extended generosity does not overrun common sense.
Kay George lives in Sultan.
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