ARLINGTON, Wash. — The Arlington School District is hoping the seventh time is the charm: asking voters again for the money to replace an ailing Post Middle School.
The first five times the district asked for a bond to pay for construction, essentially a 20-year loan that requires 60% support from voters to be approved. Several times a majority of voters supported the measure over the years but fell short of the 60% needed.
The school has a long list of issues, including an open-campus concept that means kids commute to classes outside. The school has installed cameras and fences for safety, but in the long rainy season of the Pacific Northwest, the outdoor corridors frequently flood and are hazardous when temperatures drop below zero.
Then there’s the heat. 24 heat pumps keep the 43-year-old school warm. According to the Everett Herald, the Snohomish County Health Department has advised additional ventilation in some classrooms because of the carbon dioxide that has built up.
“It’s challenging to really save money post because everything is so outdated,” Gary Sabol, the communications director for the Arlington Schools said in an interview.
In November, in reaction to concerns of voters who didn’t want a 20-year commitment, the district put forward a six-year levy increase. The measure failed again, this time falling short of the simple majority needed to pass a levy measure. A bonus: there is no interest on a levy that comes with a bond.
“Immediately after that November levy, it was important for the School Board to send out a survey to our families, staff, students, community members to really get their feedback as to why this didn’t pass,” Sabol said.
The number one issue Sabol says: People thought the ask of $81 million was too steep.
The district scaled back to $75 million with a design that can be built on when the district’s enrollment needs it to, as Sabol notes the district’s student population is increasing. The plan would bring all student corridors inside and central heating, like in the rest of the district.
“We really want to provide a new school for our students and staff to really provide them an educational environment where they can thrive and learn,” Sabol said.
The district’s voters will weigh in on the measure in the February 11 election.