March 17, 2008
By KIRBY NEUMANN-REA
News Editor

School Board members made it official Thursday morning, filing two ballot titles for the May 2008 election: a renewal of the Local Option Operating Levy and a renewal of a Construction Bond Levy that has also expired.

Both levies were approved unanimously Wednesday night in the board’s regular meeting at Westside Elementary School. Board chairman Jan Veldhuisen Virk and vice chair Mark Johnson filed the ballots at 11 a.m. with Hood River County Elections officials Sandy Berry and Kim Haack.

The Local Option Operating Levy is proposed at $1.25 per $1,000 assessed value for five years, 2008 to 2012. The average homeowner would pay $192 per year for a property assessed at the Hood River County average of $153,647. However, many property owners will not pay the full amount (use the on-line calculator or worksheet at http://www.hoodriver.k12.or.us ). The Local Option Levy will be used as a fiscal safety net, for budgets when the State School Funds don’t cover the costs of current programs.

Renewing both money measures will not increase school district property tax rates above the 2007 rates.

The 15-year levy will generate $25.1 million in revenue at a taxpayer cost estimated to be $1.47 per $1,000 — which is the rate taxpayers paid through 2007 for the previous construction bond levy.

The bond ballot summary includes a new feature, presented to the school board Thursday: It calls for creation of a citizen advisory board that will be assigned to review all bond-related projects to ensure the funds are being spent the way voters intend them.

“I urge you to support the citizen advisory committee,” Superintendent Pat Evenson-Brady told the board, which they did.

“The more transparent we are the better we serve our constituents,” she said.

According to Evenson-Brady, the bond levy is needed to renovate, remodel and add learning space to our schools.

“A Bond Levy is like a second mortgage — it provides needed funds to upgrade and maintain our school buildings,” she said. “Bond funds cannot be used for operating expenses, only facilities. In contrast, a Local Option is an operating levy and can be spent on any of the expenses of the district, including staff, textbooks, and technology.

Bond improvements include purchasing land for future schools and energy efficiencies, new heating and cooling systems, electrical upgrades and window replacement in most buildings.

Here’s a summary of the projects to be paid for by the construction bonds:

• Hood River Valley High (built in 1969): Six new science classrooms, added space in music and drama departments, additional gym seating, bathroom upgrades, to expand student capacity by 150 students.

• Hood River Middle School (1927): New music room and science classroom.

• Wy’east Middle School (1951): New music room; convert old music room to classrooms to replace portable.

• Mid Valley Elementary (1937): Replace 1937 cafeteria with a new structure, replace covered play area.

• Parkdale Elementary (1937): Replace portable with new library; convert existing library space to computer lab.

• Westside Elementary (1969): Add three standard-sized classrooms to accommodate student enrollment.

• Cascade Locks K-12 (1948): Renovations and remodeling, including an additional science teaching space.

• May Street (1922): Improved acoustics, heating and ventilation; electrical upgrade.

• Pine Grove (1925): Improve playground infrastructure.

• Frankton (1941), Coe (1915), District Office (1950): Energy efficiencies, replace windows, paving.

In other business, the school board:

• Accepted the resignation of Steve Fisk, principal of Hood River Valley High School;

• Adopted a policy dealing with cyber-bullying;