In Our View: Evergreen Bond Needed

Out of the arguments in support of Evergreen Public Schools’ bond measure on the Feb. 13 ballot, this ranks among the strongest: The district has 363 portable classrooms spread among its 36 schools.

Those are the trailer-like buildings that dot school sites, sitting apart from the main structure while providing what is supposed to be a temporary space for classes. If only they were temporary; many of those in the Evergreen district have been in use more than 25 years, and officials say passage of the $695 million bond request will allow the district to retire about half of its portable classrooms.

Of course, there are other strong reasons for voters to support the bond request. The Columbian Editorial Board recommends passage of the bond to help Clark County’s largest school district develop our community’s future leaders. Ballots will be mailed out Friday and must be returned by Feb. 13; passage of the bond requires a 60 percent “yes” vote. As always, this is simply a recommendation; The Columbian trusts that voters will examine the issue before casting an informed ballot. For more information, an online voters’ pamphlet is available at https://tinyurl.com/y8thvxzw.

The supermajority requirement is only one difficulty in passing a school bond. Others involve the fact that a majority of households within any district do not have school-aged children and that the public is understandably leery of anything that can be painted as a tax increase. School districts must present a strong case for generating public support, and Evergreen officials have done just that.

First, the bond would result in minimal tax increases for property owners. With the district’s current bond expiring in 2021, taxpayers would see a negligible difference with the new bond. Changes to state funding for public schools, passed last year by the Legislature, will alter school levy rates but will not impact the bond.

Second, district officials are targeting matching funds from the state. They say that passage of the bond would qualify Evergreen for an additional $95 million in state funds — money that will be spent elsewhere if not here. Construction also would provide the district with about $12 million in local development impact fees.

Most important, however, is the clear need for improvements to Evergreen schools. The plan is to replace five elementary schools, one middle school, and Mountain View and Legacy high schools. The bond also would provide funding for one new elementary school. Among the elementary schools targeted for replacement, the newest one is Image, which was built in 1976.

Voters in the Evergreen district last passed a bond measure in 2002; in 2008, as the Great Recession was taking hold, voters rejected a request. “It wasn’t that the need hasn’t been there. We’re going to be playing catch-up,” school board member Victoria Bradford said in a meeting with the editorial board, along with Superintendent John Steach and Chief Operating Officer Mike Merlino (video: https://tinyurl.com/yacywdx3). Many schools have outlived their expected lifespan, a situation that increases maintenance costs and leaves students with substandard facilities.

Voters rightly expect fiscal responsibility from school administrators, and the fact that Evergreen’s district office complex is composed of portable buildings demonstrates attention to that responsibility. Such facilities might be acceptable for district staff, but our students deserve better.