A $220 million bond measure for the Peninsula School District is on the ballot Tuesday. It's one of the biggest measures in Western Washington this election and the largest one in the district's history.
The bond could pay for a variety of security and safety upgrades, not to mention replacing worn out HVAC and other systems that have been patched up to live well past their prime.
"Your return on investment for this bond for what you're going to get for this district and these kids, is priceless," said Peninsula Superintendent Rob Manahan.
One of the big-ticket items is also a new elementary school that will help address the impact of the McCleary decision that will, in some cases, require smaller class sizes.
Then there are the 1,900 new homes projected to be built in the district by 2020. About 500 of them will be single-family homes. The district figures it will add at least 700 more elementary kids.
"We're already overcrowded. There's not a single classroom available. We're now just putting portables on top of portables, on top of portables," said Manahan.
But not everyone is backing the bond. Randy Boss is one of the co-founders of Responsible Taxation of Citizens (RTC). He believes voters are being misled by the $220 million figure.
"Because nobody told you we have to pay $132 million in interest on top of that. So it's really $352 million the taxpayers have to pay back," said Boss.
Part of the selling point is the bond will be cheaper than the current bond that's about to run out -- three cents less per $1,000 assessed value of a home. Boss has a couple of issues with this as well. First, it will be fixed to property value, so the more a home is worth, the more a homeowner will pay. Second, if you factor in the new state tax, he says residents will be paying more overall and that's something he believes will hit Gig Harbor's aging community - which includes many people on a fixed income.
"We need to fix the schools for the children, but at the same time we can't throw the elderly out with the bathwater here," he said.
Boss believes if past school boards had done a better job of managing money from past levies, the district wouldn't be in this predicament now. He says 85 percent goes to operations, mostly for salaries, and only 15 percent for maintenance.
"The schools have dilapidated over the 20 years, while they put band-aids and duct tape on the schools to keep them alive," said Boss.
Manahan points out Peninsula actually spends a larger percentage on maintenance than nearby districts. He also argues that money has been spent well, pushing some of the aging schools like the 71-year-old Peninsula High well past their prime. But with more of the buildings showing their age, he believes now is the time for some major renovations to help bring many of the schools in line with the times, so students and teachers know they're a priority.
"I want them to be inspired. I want them to say when they walk in, again, 'This community values and respects me, and I've got everything I need to work the work that I need to do to change lives and create miracles every day.' That to me is what this is about," said Manahan.
