MARYSVILLE — Leaders of Marysville public schools plan to have a frank conversation Monday on the district’s most critical facility needs and whether to ask voters to help fix them.
At an afternoon work session, the Marysville School District Board of Directors will discuss putting a measure on the February ballot to raise $120 million to pay for tearing down and replacing two aging elementary schools, Liberty and Cascade.
The meeting begins at 4:30 p.m. in the Educational Service Center Board Room, 4220 80th St. NE in Marysville.
Monday is a chance for the school board to hear more about why those two elementaries need replacing. Directors also will hash out the pluses and minuses of financing improvements with a six-year capital levy versus a longer-term construction bond.
“It’s our first real conversation with the board on what we think we need to do,” said Mike Sullivan, the district’s executive director of finance and operations. “We’re ready to go to the board for direction.”
Voters in 2016 rejected the district’s proposed $230 million bond. But in 2018 they approved a four-year technology and capital levy.
No decisions will be made Monday. Sullivan said he will bring a proposal and formal recommendation to the board for possible action at its Oct. 21 meeting.
Meanwhile, the conversation on bonds is further along in Edmonds and Everett.
On Tuesday, the Edmonds School District Board of Directors is expected to approve putting a $600 million construction bond and a four-year $96 million technology and capital levy on the ballot in February. The 6:30 p.m. meeting will be in the Educational Services Center at 20420 68th Ave. West in Lynnwood.
The bond, if approved, would provide money to build a new middle school at the former Alderwood Middle School site and a new elementary near Lynnwood High. There would also be funds to replace one middle school and two elementary schools, and construct an alternative learning center.
As proposed, the levy would allow the district to continue providing Chromebooks for students, expand classroom display and audio systems, and improve Internet access for students at home.
Also Tuesday, the Everett Public Schools Board of Directors is expected to vote to place a $317 million bond on the ballot in April. This meeting will begin at 4:30 p.m. in the Community Resource Center, 3900 Broadway in Everett.
Under the Everett proposal, there would be money to pay for tearing down three elementary schools — Madison, Jackson and Lowell. Each would be replaced on their same site with a new two-story building. Another chunk of money would go to construct 36 new elementary classrooms. Improvements at all three district high schools are planned as well.
Jerry Cornfield: 360-352-8623; jcornfield@herald net.com. Twitter: @dospueblos.
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