MV School Board says
it's done its homework
Officials say bond proposal backed by solid research

Jennifer Carter can be reached at 360-416-2147 or jcarter@skagitvalley herald.com.

By JENNIFER CARTER
Staff Writer

MOUNT VERNON—Mount Vernon School Board members Tuesday sought to show they've done their research in preparation for putting a $46.4 million bond proposition before voters this spring.
 
Board members and Superintendent Carl Bruner fielded questions on the proposal at a special board meeting and public forum Tuesday night at Mount Vernon High School. About 20 people, including several district employees, attended.

Bruner's presentation at the beginning of the meeting seemed to anticipate voter concerns about the district's last bond issue, approved in 2001 for improvements at the high school.

He outlined extensive research that preceded the current proposal, including development of a 10-year master plan for district facilities needs, detailed cost estimates for the proposed projects, and a consultant's review of went wrong with the 2001 bond, which did not pay for all the projects many voters said they'd been led to expect during the bond campaign.

District resident Van Vander- pol raised the issue during the public comment period.

"You had a bond issue, and we believed that would take care of the high school," he said.
 
Board President Charlie Guildner said concerns about the past are justified, given the "less than stellar" job the district did of estimating project costs and communicating with voters. Guildner said that as a taxpayer, he too was unhappy then.

This time, he said, the district is doing things differently.

"This board is absolutely diligent about making sure you get what you pay for," Guildner said.

The district is seeking voter approval in the April 24 election for the $46.4 million bond issue to help finance $56.5 million in improvements, including replacement of aging Madison Elementary, construction of a new, 550-student elementary school on East Division Street to accommodate projected enrollment growth, and renovation of the Mount Vernon High School gym and fieldhouse. The district is eligible for state matching funds for the additional $10.1 million in costs.

The proposed bond issue would increase taxes in the district by an estimated 58 cents per $1,000 assessed value, or about $145 per year on a $250,000 home.

Guildner and board Vice President LuAnne Burkhart said after the meeting that they, like many voters, were frustrated when the 2001 bond dollars didn't go as far as expected. Guildner and Burkhart, elected in November 2005, are the most veteran members of the current board and, consequently, the most involved with developing the current proposal.

Guildner said, this time around, the board demanded more specific information about plans and asked for conservative estimates of project costs, cost increases due to inflation, and the tax impact to make sure there are no surprises for voters.

"You trust the money to us," he said. "We have to deliver."

Larry Anderson, a member of the district facilities committee that recommended the improvement projects to be funded by the current bond, said Tuesday that he believes that the School Board has done the necessary research for the current proposal that wasn't done in 2001. He said he appreciates the district's efforts to obtain detailed cost estimates for the proposed projects.

"I think this is a reasonable bond," he said. "I don't want to pay the 58 cents, but I know we need it."