Nothing spreads holiday cheer like talking about the ISD bond!   Below you will find some good information on
the bond and some quick facts to clarify many of the questions that you may have…

• Bond homepage: A rundown of what’s in the bond, the tax impact, and a bond overview.
• Quick overview flier
• Frequently asked questions: A few of the most common misperceptions we have encountered thus far; PLEASE CONTINUE TO SEND MORE QUESTIONS MY WAY AS YOU HEAR THEM, and I will add to the list.
• Construction history/facts: A good snapshot of how we have been managing construction for the past decade and beyond.

If you would like the even more distilled version, here are some key messages that have been shared at bond presentations:

• Quick facts: The election date is April 17, 2012; the package is $219 million and spans eight years of construction.
• The bond allows us to be fiscally prudent with maintenance and repairs so we don’t otherwise have to use operations      dollars that directly support classrooms. For instance, if a boiler breaks, the replacement cost is at least $500,000 (equivalent to about six teaching positions).
• The bond includes rebuilds of our oldest schools during a period of historically low construction costs. After more than five decades, Clark Elementary, Issaquah Middle, and Sunny Hills Elementary are reaching the end of their lifespans; long-term financial forecasts favor rebuilding now rather than making ongoing major repairs for years to come. (This also saves operational dollars, as new buildings run much more efficiently.)
• How the Bond package affects our Newcastle kids: the package includes $44,585,000 for Liberty HS and $3,841,000 for Maywood MS.
• We are one of the most fiscally responsible districts in the country. Moody’s recently reaffirmed our highest credit rating—AAA—even after the federal government’s downgrade. Only 0.76% of all school districts nationwide share this distinction.
• In relation to current school tax expenditures, residents can expect to see a decrease even if the bond is approved. The owner of a $500,000 home would pay about $215 less per year. How?  Recognizing the current economic climate, the new bond package is structured to be about half as much as the bond debt retiring in 2012. The retiring bond debt will drop the tax rate from $4.85 to $4.05 per $1,000 of assessed property value; approval of the new bond will result in an estimated $4.42 tax rate.
• By modernizing Tiger Mountain Community High School, we are expanding career and technical training to help all high-school students compete in a dynamic global economy. This could include partnerships with local STEM businesses, job training, and
  flexible scheduling (online home base) options for all.

Please let us know if you have any questions…

Edana & Kim