Lynden School District’s bond is heading back to the ballot in August with a slight change to the tax rate.
Following failure in the Feb. 13 special election, Lynden School Board voted unanimously on Thursday, April 4 to place the $157.5 million capital bond to fund the construction of a new high school and make other upgrades to schools in the district on the Aug. 6 ballot.
The original resolution failed in the Feb. 13 election after receiving 51% of votes in favor. Bonds need a supermajority of 60% to pass.
School board member Jim Verburg said that upping the vote by nearly 10 percentage points is a “big lift,” but said he believed the bond’s scope should not be reduced.
“If it doesn’t pass, then it doesn’t pass …” school board member Ken Owsley said. “I just know every election that we don’t run it, and we don’t pass it, is six months of kids eating their lunch in the hallway.”
The new resolution is nearly identical to the original — the bonds will fund a new high school to properly fit and serve the district’s growing population, add more classrooms to Isom and Bernice Vossbeck elementary schools, upgrade district playgrounds and upgrade heating, ventilating and air conditioning systems throughout the district.
The main change comes in the tax rate per year: The February resolution would have applied a tax rate of $1.53 per $1,000 of assessed value to Lynden property taxes, with the rate descending slightly over the life of the bond. The new resolution estimates a flat tax rate of $1.36 per $1,000 in assessed value. While the tax will allow the district to raise the same amount of money — capped at $157.5 million — Superintendent David VanderYacht said the new rate is a better estimate that reflects current inflation rates, current property values and the slight restructuring of the tax rate.
Owsley said at Thursday’s meeting if the projected tax rate ends up as projected, taxpayers will save roughly $30 million over the life of the bond.
Three citizens spoke at the public comment — two members of Citizens for Lynden Schools in favor of moving ahead with resolution, and one citizen who argued that it’s unlikely they’ll be able to garner the votes needed without a significant reduction in scope.
Charlotte Alden is CDN’s general assignment/enterprise reporter; reach her at charlottealden@cascadiadaily.com; 360-922-3090 ext. 123.
