Kent School Board votes 3-1 to send levy to voters in November

In a controversial Kent School Board meeting, the board voted 3-1 to put a $97.8 million three-year Capital Projects and Technology Replacement Levy on the Nov. 5 general election ballot.

A board majority of President Meghin Margel, Tim Clark and Awale Farah approved the resolution at the July 10 meeting. Board director Donald Cook opposed the measure. Board director Andy Song was absent due to illness. Superintendent Israel Vela proposed the measure at a June 12 meeting.

District leaders looked to offer a new proposal to voters after levy failures last April and November 2023 and a $493 million bond failure in April 2023. The measure is about half of the $190.2 million levy that voters turned down in April.

“We have transitioned from $190 million to $97.8 million,” Deputy Superintendent Wade Barringer said during his presentation to the board. “We had a nice list of projects in the $190 million levy but because part of the community said we need to address cost and spending (before they would vote for a levy), we felt it was best to reduce the overall ask and move away from projects that would be nice to have.”

If approved by voters, about $73.3 million will go to capital projects and $24.4 million to technology that district staff claims are critical and essential needs.

Student safety and health improvements will include upgrades to building fire alarm systems and the purchase and installation of boilers. Other projects include roof and building side improvements; replacing the bus transportation fueling station and an emergency generator to the central kitchen to prevent spoiling of food during power outages.

New roofs at six schools will cost about $22.9 million, according to district documents. A bus fueling center will cost $5.6 million. New boilers at six schools and the central kitchen will cost $8.6 million.

The district plans to install synthetic turf fields at Kentridge High School and Mill Creek Middle School, at a cost of $18 million, because rain often makes the fields unusable.

Joe Riley, a district resident, submitted a video for public comment during the meeting and questioned the need to replace grass fields with the much more expensive synthetic turf, which the district also has done at other school fields.

“You could have cut costs by going to grass instead of synthetic fields,” said Riley, who also added residents weren’t asked by the district about specific projects or whether the district should seek another bond rather than a levy.

Technology upgrades include continuation of the district’s system to supply staff and students with laptops to use at home and school; expansion and upgrades of infrastructure systems for wireless access and data security; intercom system improvements; and other technology improvements.

Cook told fellow board members he wanted another two weeks to get community input about which projects to do before approving the proposal in time to meet King County Elections deadline to get it on the Nov. 5 ballot.

“Why are we choosing for the community not to come in to provide input to the changes,” said Cook, who objected to relying on experts deciding which projects get done rather than district residents.

“We are changing how much money we spend but with no input from what the public wanted to change,” Cook said.

The district held a couple of listening sessions about the levy, but didn’t take suggestions about projects to do or not do.

Barringer responded to Cook that people wanted less spending and lower taxes and a smaller levy request will accomplish that but still pay for critical projects whose lifespan is three years or less.

“The number one issue we’ve heard is tax implications,” Barringer said. “The goal was to be under $100 million so when people look at the numbers, if we’re at $103 million it’s still at nine figures so we wanted to come down and still meet our needs. …how low can we go and still take care of things that are going to run their life course.”

Cook said he wants the levy to pass but doesn’t think staff has done enough to persuade voters to approve it without getting more input.

“Even if we allow two weeks to talk about it,” Cook said. “We’ve barely given enough time for it to be out in public let alone decide things for them. I feel we should wait rather than just hope we’re able to pass the levy.”

Other board members disagreed.

“We’ve had more than enough discussion,” said Clark, who joined the meeting by phone.

Farah, who also joined the meeting by phone, agreed with Clark.

“We’ve discussed more than we’ve discussed before and we are coming down in the money we asked for,” Farah said. “I believe we have done enough to put the levy back on the ballot. …We owe the community to try it again.”

Margel said the levy has backers.

“We’ve heard resounding support to get the levy on this ballot,” Margel said. “We’ve heard from people who know the community best, some of our community leaders.”

Kent Mayor Dana Ralph and Covington Mayor Jeff Wagner each have come out in support of the levy and along with former school board member Leslie Hamada are on the pro committee to write in favor of the measure for the voters pamphlet. The board approved the three to be on the committee, although Cook abstained.

Margel likes the proposal.

“The levy can respond to the community (with lower costs) and getting to things we need to do to keep the lights on,” she said.

Margel, Clark and Farah also voted in a separate measure to endorse the measure. Cook abstained.

Song absent

Board director Andy Song didn’t attend the meeting or join it by phone. Song told the Kent Reporter in a July 15 email that he fell ill that day at work and had to rush home.

“Normally I would call in, but this time was too difficult for me,” Song said.

Cost of levy

If the levy is approved, property tax rates for the measure would be $0.72 (72 cents) per $1,000 assessed property value in 2025; $0.70 in 2026; and $0.68 in 2027, according to district documents. The measure would bring in about $32 million per year.

Combined with the voter-approved district operational levy in November 2023, the property tax rate would be $2.92 in 2025, costing the owner of a $600,000 home about $1,751 per year in 2025 compared to $2,120 in 2023 with a rate of $3.53 per $1,000 assessed value.