Bond 2016

On Jan. 13, 2023 the Issaquah School District sent a press release to its community that, after a review of district capital expenditures which identified that some capital project bond funds from the 2016 bond were used for older capital projects outside of the scope of the governing ISD Board Resolutions, it had informed the state auditor about noncompliance. All funds are accounted for and were used only for District capital projects approved in prior ISD Bond Resolutions.

The ISD will continue to keep the community informed as they work with the state auditors office and further information becomes available.

Building the Future for Students - School Construction and Maintenance Bond

A community Bond Feasibility and Development Committee met April 1 through May 6, 2015 to determine essential facility needs and shape a potential bond measure to go before voters in the Spring of 2016. The committee sent its proposed bond project recommendation to the superintendent, who in turn used the proposal to inform his recommendation to the school board for final approval.

The committee considered proposed content, total cost, and tax impact of a potential bond, recognizing the current economic climate, the committee evaluated the bond proposal in terms of:

Ensuring the Issaquah School District has all the resources possible to meet its mission and Ends student learning goals
Safely and efficiently maintaining facilities and property according to state and District use standards and schedules

Projects funded by the 2016 Bond can be viewed on our Capital Projects webpage.

Quick Facts: April 26, 2016 Bond Measure

What is a school bond?

The State of Washington does not fund the regular building or maintenance of public schools. Instead, local voters must approve school bonds for this purpose. Similar to a mortgage, bonds may be paid for over 20 years, helping to keep annual costs lower for taxpayers. Issaquah School District’s current bonds are, on average, paid off in nine years. This shorter duration saves taxpayers’ money.
State law mandates that bond dollars be used only for building and maintenance, not classroom operations or salaries. Careful bond planning, however, is one critical way districts preserve classroom funds. For instance, if a roof fails at an elementary school, the cost of replacement can be upwards of $2 million, equivalent to 23 teaching positions. If no bond funds are available, classroom operations dollars must be used instead.

What is in the 2016 Bond?

The construction of four new schools: The District has grown by more than 2,000 students in the past four years and is conservatively projected to add an additional 1,500 to 2,000 students in the next five years. This continued enrollment growth requires the addition of two new elementary schools, a 6th middle school and a 4th comprehensive high school.
Property for school sites: The District must acquire the property needed for the new schools in the 2016 Bond.
Rebuild Pine Lake Middle School: Originally built in 1974, PLMS will be completely reconstructed on site, providing a new learning environment with updated technology and energy efficient operations.
Critical Expansion/Modernization of six existing elementary schools: In order to accommodate growing student populations and provide for State funded Full Day Kindergarten; Discovery, Endeavour, Sunset, Cougar Ridge, Maple Hills and Clark Elementary schools will all be expanded/modernized by four to eight classrooms each.

How will the 2016 Bond impact taxes?

In relation to current property taxes, residents can expect to see NO increase in the tax rate if the bond is approved. The tax rate will remain at or below the current $4.14 per $1000 of assessed property value.
How do we keep your tax rate stable? The District has experienced rapid growth in the total assessed value of property due to continued new construction of housing and commercial properties as well as higher valuations for existing homes. Additionally, in order to support our goal of predictable taxes, the District has structured a decrease in its current long term tax collections allowing for the “new” taxes generated by the 2016 Bond to not increase your tax rate.

Bond and Construction Quick Facts

2016 Superintendent Bond Recommendation

2016 Bond Estimated Tax Rates

2016 Bond Committee Adopted Projects Proposal

2016 Bond Committee Technical Team Contacts

Construction Videos

What is a School Bond?

Bond Feasibility and Development Committee

A community Bond Feasibility and Development Committee met April 1 through May 6, 2015 to determine essential facility needs and shape a potential bond measure to go before voters in Spring 2016. The committee has sent its proposed bond project recommendation to the superintendent, who will in turn use the proposal to inform his recommendation to the school board for final approval.

The committee considered proposed content, total cost, and tax impact of a potential bond, recognizing the current economic climate, the committee evaluated the bond proposal in terms of:

Ensuring the Issaquah School District has all the resources possible to meet its mission and Ends student learning goals
Safely and efficiently maintaining facilities and property according to state and District use standards and schedules

Community Involvement

Send in your comments via e-mail to Bond2016@issaquah.wednet.edu or contact Jacob Kuper's office at 425-837-7024

Committee Information

Maps

Meetings

The Bond Feasibility and Development Committee meetings are open to the public and will be held on the following Wednesday from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at the Administration Building. Agendas will be posted before each meeting; mini summaries will be available the day after a meeting; and official notes will be posted as soon as possible following a meeting. Materials will be linked when applicable. Links to each item will be activated as documents become available.

April 1	Agenda	Mini Summary	Official Notes	Materials
April 15	Agenda	Mini Summary	Official Notes	Materials
April 29	Agenda	Mini Summary	Official Notes	Materials
May 6	Agenda	Mini Summary	Official Notes	Materials

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