Anyone who has spent the last 10 years or more in Marysville knows how much it has grown. Treed hillsides have become neighborhoods, and new housing developments continue to spring up as population pressures bring more families north.
In those last 10 years, the Marysville School District has worked to accommodate growth, but has done so without a major construction program. Short-term fixes, like adding more portable buildings, have reached the saturation point. New schools must be built to keep up with demand and changing technology, and to ensure a quality education for all.
The school board on Feb. 4 will ask voters to approve three measures, two of which are for construction bonds. The other is a maintenance and operations levy that would replace the current one — at the existing rate. The size of the bond request is substantial, but so is the need. The school board has done its homework, sharpened its pencils and done what appears to be a thorough job of providing maximum value for the dollars requested.
We strongly urge district voters to approve all three measures.
The maintenance and operations levy helps pay for basic education. Yes, that’s the state’s primary job, but we all know that there aren’t enough state dollars to fund what anyone would consider a basic education.
The construction bonds total $136.6 million and are contained in two propositions. Proposition 1 would provide for a much-needed new high school, and some renovation of the only existing one. Marysville-Pilchuck High School is bursting at the seams, with an enrollment of about 2,700 students — the highest in the entire state. The new high school would have room for 1,600 students, allowing for some future growth. Proposition 1 also would provide money for a new middle school, and to purchase needed land before prices rise further.
Proposition 2 allows for construction of three new elementary schools, including replacements for Cascade and Liberty, both of which are more than 50 years old. Wiring in those buildings is so outdated that teachers can’t even operate a computer and overhead projector at the same time. Proposition 2 also contains about $24 million for renovations at all of the district’s other schools.
Passage of the M&O levy won’t raise your taxes — it’s simply a continuation of what’s being collected now. The bond issues, together, would mean about $300 more in annual taxes for the owner of a $200,000 home. The exact amount depends on factors like interest rates at the time bonds are sold.
Overcrowded conditions exist throughout the district — 108 portables are in use, including 13 that were added in the past year alone. Quality facilities are part of the formula for quality education. To remain a quality community, Marysville voters should say yes to these proposals.
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