Latest news with #PuyallupSchoolDistrict
Yahoo
13-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Puyallup's school bond is on the ballot. Why did property taxes already go up?
Two months after its $800 million bond failed, the Puyallup School District is putting it before voters again on April 22. 'We understand that, historically, April elections have a lower voter turnout,' Sarah Gillispie, spokesperson for the school district, told The News Tribune. 'But we are hopeful that our community will recognize the urgency and importance of this measure.' The bond would allow the district to expand three high schools; replace Mt. View, Spinning and Waller Road elementary schools; and build a new elementary school near Emerald Ridge High School and Glacier View Junior High. In February, voters approved the measure with a 63% approval rate — but the bond still failed because it didn't get the amount of total votes it needed to pass. In Washington state, a bond has to pass by getting 60% approval and getting a total turnout rate that matches 40% of the previous election. For elections in 2025, officials base this on the turnout rate for the November 2024 election – which means 28,216 ballots need to be cast in order for the election to be approved. The February election saw 25,408 votes – less than 3,000 away from the total amount of votes needed. Gillispie said she estimates there are around 90,000 registered voters in the Puyallup School District. In 2024, voters approved a six-year property tax rate increase that brought rates up by 87 cents, starting in 2025. Voters went from paying $3.27 per $1,000 of assessed property value to $4.14. If the new bond goes through, voters would pay that same amount for 21 years instead of six. 'That rate of $4.14 is already locked in, based on the capital levy from 2024,' Ellen Aronson, head of the 'Yes' campaign for the bond, told The News Tribune. 'It's already locked in for six more years, so voting 'no' is not going to reduce your taxes in the short term.' Gillispie said the county adds an additional 7 cents, leading to it being $4.21 per $1,000 of assessed property value. The owner of a $600,000 home in Puyallup is paying $2,526 in property taxes to the district each year under this rate. Gillispie said the bond, if passed, would lock this rate for 21 years — with no increases until 2045. She said she expects this rate to be stable unless 'affected by legislative action.' 'The tax rate is expected to remain stable, but we don't know at this point what the results will be of the legislative session,' Gillispie said. Gillispie said later in an email to The News Tribune that the district is watching two bills in the legislature. SB 5263 has to do with special education funding, and HB 1338 concerns school operating costs. On April 7, the Puyallup School District published a letter on its website urging the state to keep sending funds to the school district. In the letter, they emphasized that the district has faced a $78 million funding gap since 2020 due to 'inadequate state funding and rising costs.' The legislative session is scheduled to end on April 27. Supporters of the bond say that, if it fails a second time, they expect the school district will put it on the ballot again in the future, but with a higher property tax rate. 'Costs for everything are going up, so we, as a community, can decide we are going to make this investment in our kids and our educators now — or we are going to have to address these needs in the future at a higher cost,' Aronson said. Steve Beck, the leader of the 'No' campaign against the bond, said he is worried about the high cost of property taxes. '[I've met a lot of people] that have expressed a lot of angst because of how much the property tax went up last year,' Beck said. 'My personal property tax on my house went up 21% last year.' Beck went on to say that people are struggling to afford necessities right now, and he worries about residents moving out of Puyallup because of it. 'When I look at the enrollment for kids, they've got less people in kindergarten and first grade than they do in high school. There's not a huge population coming, people are not having as many kids because of the expense,' Beck said. 'People are going to leave Puyallup or Edgewood because of high cost of housing and property tax is a big part of that.' When The News Tribune asked Gillispie about their student demographics and expected growth, Gillispie said the district is expecting their student population to grow by 1,000 over the next 10 years. The district currently serves 22,905 students. Gillispie said the bond is needed because several schools are in poor condition, and hundreds of students are taking classes in portables every day. She also said the new elementary school near Emerald Ridge High School and Glacier View Junior High would play a critical role in addressing the growth in that area. Two schools — Spinning Elementary and Waller Road Elementary — are at risk of closing if the bond fails. 'They have the lowest building condition scores against all other schools in the district,' Gillispie said. 'They have critically outdated infrastructure that is beyond repair.' When The News Tribune asked what that closure process would look like if the bond fails, Gillispie said it would be 'a process' and that students at those schools would be transferred to nearby schools. 'My kids went to Fruitland Elementary and that school is already crowded — it's one of the schools closest to Waller Road,' Aronson told The News Tribune. 'The school board will probably be thinking of sending some of those kids to Fruitland just because of how close it is, and Fruitland is already full. I don't think we can fit kids from a closed-down school.' Aronson said the district does not have a specific timeline for when these schools would close, but those conversations would start after the election if the bond fails. Aronson also mentioned that the library science building at Puyallup High School has been condemned because it was no longer safe to be in. She also said there is only one working science lab for the school's roughly 1,700 students. The News Tribune saw concerns on social media that, if the bond is approved, the school district would continue to ask residents for more funding in coming years. When The News Tribune asked Aronson about these concerns, she said residents will see more school district measures on the ballot in the future — but for different causes. 'Yes, the levy that pays for teachers' salaries is going to come up either next year or the year after that, but it's a completely different thing than the bond,' Aronson said. 'These projects are really important and they're separate from teachers' salaries and operating costs. People are always like, 'Oh, the school district is coming back again to ask for more money,' [but] it's different money. It's just like a renewal.' Aronson said the bond focuses on the buildings and having healthy schools for children to go to. She also mentioned that Puyallup hasn't passed a bond since 2015, and before that, 2004. When The News Tribune asked Aronson if future measures that go towards funding operational costs or teachers' salaries will affect the $4.14 rate, she said the district is aiming to keep property taxes at the level they are already at now. 'The goal is to maintain the tax rate and not increase it and have it be a straight across renewal of what is currently there right now,' Aronson said. Gillispie told The News Tribune that it costs the school district $350,000 to put this measure on the ballot again. 'The cost for us to be on the April ballot is approximately $350,000, which is a significant expense for the district,' Gillispie said. 'However, it's important to know the importance of this bond — the potential consequences for our schools made it essential for us to take action.' Gillispie and Aronson both said that the school board felt encouraged by the 63% approval rate from voters in February, and the district wanted to build on that momentum two months later. 'We were only short by 2,800 votes and there were over 60,000 residents in Puyallup who didn't turn in their ballots,' Aronson said. 'So, I imagine that some of them support the schools and care about the schools.' Gillispie said the district is feeling 'cautiously optimistic.' Residents have until April 14 to register to vote, either online or in person. You can register in person until 8 p.m. Voters must postmark their ballots by April 22 or get them to a drop box by 8 p.m. that night. More information, including drop box locations for this election, is available on the Pierce County Elections website. The News Tribune archives contributed to this report.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Puyallup schools are underfunded despite public support. The legislature must act
Washington State legislators, As the sixth-largest district in the state, Puyallup School District serves 23,000 students whose futures rely on your decisions regarding public education funding. Insufficient state funding significantly hinders our capacity to deliver even a basic, quality education that our students deserve. The lack of adequate financial resources directly compromises the essential education we strive to provide. We — the Puyallup School Board, district and education association — urgently call upon you to address funding shortfalls threatening our students' opportunities and community vitality. Our community has consistently demonstrated their support for public education by passing crucial measures, such as the ongoing passage of EP&O levies and the capital levy in February 2024. This commitment was further exemplified in our recent bond proposal, where, despite its failure due to insufficient voter turnout, an impressive 63.36% approval rate reflected the community's willingness to invest in our schools. Even with our community's generous contributions, they cannot fully compensate for the significant gap in state funding. Please take immediate action on these critical matters: Fund special education per the original SB 5263. Our district's underfunding since 2020 totals $23.21 million. Fund materials, supplies and operating costs according to the original HB 1338. Puyallup School District has faced a $47.43 million shortfall since 2020. Update the transportation funding formula to reflect actual costs, especially for McKinney-Vento and special needs students. An outdated formula has caused a $7.84 million deficit since 2020. Puyallup SD faces a cumulative $78.48 million funding gap since 2020. Inadequate state funding and rising costs have already forced significant budget cuts. Last year, a $12 million deficit caused major staff reductions, and as we plan for next year, significant reductions will need to be made if the legislature does not act. To address K-12 education's dire funding needs, we urge the state to prioritize finding new, sustainable revenue sources. It is crucial to fulfill the state's responsibility of providing equitable and adequate funding for our schools. This means reversing the declining trend in education's share of the state budget, which has severely impacted our ability to provide quality education to our students. Without this support, we will continue to face devastating financial challenges that ultimately impact the quality of education we can provide to students. The time to act is now. Please make the necessary changes to secure the future of our public education system in Washington State. Maddie Names is president of the Puyallup School District Board of Directors. She has served on the board since 2017. John Polm has served as the Puyallup School District superintendent since 2020. Bob Horton has served as the president of the Puyallup Education Association since 2021.
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
The $800M Puyallup school bond had 63 percent approval, but still failed. Here's why
The Puyallup School District's $800 million bond failed because not enough voters cast ballots in the special election last week. Now, the school district will put the same measure before voters again in two months. PSD's school board voted unanimously Tuesday night to put the bond measure on the April 22 special election ballot. 'The primary reason for us pursuing the April ballot is to maintain the momentum that we have gained in informing our community about a variety of challenges,' Sarah Gillispie, the school district's executive director of communications and public engagement, told The News Tribune Wednesday. In order to pass, the bond needs a 60% majority — which it got in the Feb. 11 election — but it also needs to reach a specific number of total votes in order to be approved. While officials are still counting ballots, so far only 25,408 votes have been recorded — far less than the 28,216 required. Any remaining votes won't be enough for the measure to pass. Of the ballots that have come in, 16,093 people (63.34%) voted 'yes' and 9,315 people (36.66%) voted 'no,' according to the Pierce County Auditor's Office. This crowded Pierce County school district has 221 portables and is asking for $800M The same turnout threshold of 28,216 ballots will be in place during the April election. The requirement is 40% of the turnout during the most recent general election — a higher barrier to clear following a presidential election year. 'We really want to encourage everyone to participate in the voting process,' Gillispie said. 'If Proposition 1 does not pass the second time, future funding measures may require tax increases to address the same needs.' The bond would expand three high schools and also replace and expand Mt. View, Spinning and Waller Road elementary schools. 'The school district has over 200 portables district-wide and a lot of that pressure is at the high-school level,' Gillispie said. 'So three of our high schools would be expanded due to our reliance on portables. Then, out of our 22 elementary schools, we have the three elementary schools that have received the worst building condition scores and they are in critical need of replacement and repair.' The bond would also allow the school district to build a new elementary school near Emerald Ridge High School and Glacier View Junior High. 'We're projected to receive approximately 1,000 students over the next 10 years,' Gillispie said. 'So that new elementary will provide a spot for that growth and also relieve pressure on the surrounding elementary schools.' Last year, voters agreed to a six-year property-tax rate increase from $3.27 to $4.14 per $1,000 of assessed value as part of a capital levy. That increase takes effect this year. The new bond, if approved in April, would keep that rate in effect for 21 years. The owner of a $600,000 home in Puyallup pays $2,484 in property taxes to the Puyallup School District every year under that rate. Some residents posted on social media that they didn't receive their ballots for the Feb. 11 special election. A few also posted that they had trouble voting, because a drop box on East 72nd Street near Waller Road Elementary School was locked during the election due to it not being in school district boundaries. Resident Ellen Aronson, who was part of the 'yes' campaign, said she hadn't heard such complaints. Gillispie, the school district spokesperson, said the same. The Pierce County Auditor's Office told The News Tribune they have not seen anything out of the ordinary for a February special election. They didn't have more complaints than usual. 'A couple of people called on Election Day, but this is what happens every special,' Kyle Haugh, the elections manager for the Pierce County Auditor's Office, told The News Tribune Wednesday. 'February election turnout is traditionally very low.' Haugh said that in order for a drop box to be open during a special election, it has to be located in the school district and has to have received 1% of ballots cast in the previous election. For example, if the November election had 1,000 ballots cast, a drop box would need to have received 10 ballots in order to be unlocked during the February election. 'We don't generally open [boxes that get less than 1%] because it costs money to open them and collect from them every day,' Haugh said. Ballots can also be postmarked for free. When asked how much this special election cost, Haugh said it is too early to say because the Auditor's Office is still counting and finalizing ballots. The 2024 special election cost the Puyallup School District about $216,000. 'Every special election is different, we have to bill the exact cost,' Haugh said. 'But they're not cheap to run.' Gillispie said the district pays for its special elections through its general fund. When bonds pass, the district can use that money to cover some of the costs of a special election. 'The district takes great care in determining when and how often to present ballot measures to our community,' Gillispie said in a statement to The News Tribune. 'It is crucial to understand that state funding alone is not sufficient to cover the full costs of operating, maintaining, and building schools. As a result, school districts like ours depend on local bonds and levies to bridge this funding gap.'
Yahoo
16-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Puyallup schools need major improvements. Backing this school bond will help them
Puyallup School District's bond will replace the current levy and will not raise taxes. The funds will replace and add to our sorely needed school infrastructure. For example, the building that housed the library and science and art classes at PHS has been condemned and is unusable. At ERHS, four former teacher work rooms, which are much smaller than classrooms, are now being used as classrooms. Both schools, as well as RHS, are over capacity and growing. They all have many portables. At the elementary level, both Spinning and Waller Road are in need of much work. Both were last modernized in 1985, which was 40 years ago. Our district's population continues to grow and our community's building and modernization has not kept up with it. Our students need this bond to pass. Voting for it will replace the old levy and not increase taxes. Please vote yes on our PSD bond. Beverly Showacy, Puyallup Once again the legislature is trying to close Rainier School, and once again it's a horrible idea. Residents are receiving active treatment and training which doesn't exist anywhere but the three RHCs. The number of developmentally disabled adults in Washington State is increasing as the population increases and some portion of those developmentally disabled adults will need active treatment and training at one of the RHCs. Closing Rainier School means 70 of our most vulnerable citizens will lose their homes at a time when there's a shortage of housing and the cost of housing is out of reach for tens of thousands of Washingtonians. Where will they go? Some people have exaggerated situations that occurred in the past and sensationalized them for political and business reasons. The facts are that Rainier School is safer than many of the private, for-profit providers throughout the State. If something happens at Rainier School we will know about it, but if something happens at a community provider you are not going to hear about it. Instead of closing Rainier School Rainier School should be open to more people who need care. Let's start with the people who are languishing in hospitals. Robert Doyle, Sedro Woolley On Feb. 16, a bronze plaque honoring Catherine Beatrice Hall Johnston, the first woman-of-color business owner in Tacoma, will be unveiled at 2553 Tacoma Avenue South, Tacoma. Johnston was born on June 16, 1898, in Hot Springs, Arkansas. She was the daughter of Rachel Ann Norman and Frank Hall, granddaughter of Hannah Jones Norman and Elbert Norman, and the great-granddaughter of Caroline Jones. In 1908 Catherine and her family relocated to Spokane, Washington. Gaining an interest in cosmetology she studied at the Poro Beauty College, where Madam C.J. Walker also attended. In 1943, Catherine completed her formal beauty school training, moved back to Tacoma and immediately opened her salon, named Catherine's Beauty Nook on 13th and K Streets. She owned and operated Catherine's Beauty Nook until she was stricken with an illness that caused her to close the business. We wish to honor and bring to life the story of Johnston, a pioneer who added to the rich history of people in Tacoma. Johnston went to be with the Lord on March 14, 1999, in Tacoma. Evelyn Robertson, Liberty Hill
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Yahoo
Vandals take chainsaws to 200-year-old trees in Puyallup along popular trail, WDFW says
Police are seeking more information about vandalism at the Puyallup Fish Hatchery, which they say is putting the safety of visitors and a beloved trail system at risk. According to a Facebook post yesterday from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Police, vandals have used chainsaws and axes on many trees, including some that are between 50 and 200 years old. That's killed some trees and damaged others. These incidents have been happening over the past year, and WDFW says it costs over $6,000 to remove the trees and that it makes the area unsafe. 'One 200-year-old Douglas fir was cut 3/4 of the way through and left ready to fall,' the post said. Police say that if the vandalism keeps happening, they may have to close the Clarks Creek Loop trail system to the public. Fourth graders from the Puyallup School District visit the hatchery to observe the thousands of salmon that swim through Clarks Creek every year. Residents with information about the vandalism can call WDFW at 877-933-9847, text WDFWTIP to 847411 or fill out their online reporting form. Further information wasn't immediately available. Check back for updates.
