TONIGHT: West Seattle briefing on upcoming school-district levies

Biggest event on tonight’s local calendar is about the two Seattle Public Schools levies headed for your ballot in the February 2016 election. They’re not finalized yet, so if you have something to say – or just want a preview – this is your chance: 6:30 pm at West Seattle High School (3000 California SW), it’s a community meeting about the Operations and Buildings/Technology/Academics/Athletics (BTA IV) levies. The district has a page of background links here. As reported here in August, the biggest local item proposed for the BTA IV levy is money to renovate and reopen E.C. Hughes Elementary in Sunrise Heights (photo at left), the site leased for the past five years by Westside School (WSB sponsor), which has now moved into its own permanent location in Arbor Heights, leaving the Hughes building empty again, 26 years after its original closure. E.C. Hughes (7740 34th SW) would be renovated and expanded to hold up to 550 students. The proposed project list specifies work at other local schools, including the roof at WSHS and the HVAC system at Gatewood Elementary. At tonight’s meeting, the announcement says, SPS staff “will present information, ask for comments and answer questions.”

11 Replies to "TONIGHT: West Seattle briefing on upcoming school-district levies"

  • AmandaKH September 28, 2015 (10:10 am)

    I find it absolutely appalling that Roxhill Elementary (or Alki Elementary) are not on the list. Shame AGAIN on SPS. EC Hughes went under extensive renovations with West Side in there. Roxhill has no fire suppression system, the original boiler, cast iron pipes and there are RATS on the playground that is decrepit. What will it take to get SPS to invest in Roxhill Elementary? We don’t have the kind of PTA that can rally and bug the district. Is there anyone out there that can champion our kids?

  • Mark schletty September 28, 2015 (10:56 am)

    Making no judgement on these 2 levies, they may be good ones, or not, my issue is the timing of the vote. We are getting levied to death in seattle and selecting vote dates is a major part of it. It is politically very smart to hold these votes outside the general election date if you want them to pass. But, in fairness to the citizens, the vote would be more representative of what is really supported if it were held on the november general election ballot. Can’t stand Eyman, but an initiative that could actually have merit would be one that forced all levies onto the general election ballot.

  • Mickymse September 28, 2015 (11:42 am)

    Well, Mark, if you “can’t stand Eyman” then you’ll be happy to recall that it’s HIS fault that “we are getting levied to death.”
    .
    Property taxes can only grow 1% (+ new construction), which doesn’t even keep up with inflation, much less a population that has grown by 10% in 10 years.
    .
    So every time we need to grow the amount of public funding for increased maintenance or new projects, governments have to put a levy on the ballot. (Or propose some other set of taxes, like regressive sales taxes).

  • Joe Szilagyi September 28, 2015 (11:58 am)

    The fact we have to VOTE on these critical education matters is a testament to our entirely flawed systems in this state. I don’t care about any libertarian claptrap: you don’t vote for funding school projects. You just do it, authorized by elected officials, and sit down and shut up. If you don’t like the outcomes, fire the elected officials. This is shameful.

  • chemist September 28, 2015 (12:21 pm)

    Tim Eyman doesn’t exactly elicit warm feelings from me, but when the majority of his initiatives get struck down by the courts but wind up enacted by the legislature introducing their own draft measures that imitate Eyman, I think you have to blame Olympia.
    .
    http://www.seattlepi.com/local/article/Lawmakers-restore-1-property-tax-cap-1257294.php
    The new legislation re-establishes the limits set by I-747 and blocks any additional taxing capacity that local governments might have gained retroactively. It passed in the Senate 39-9 and in the House 86-8.

  • Nick September 28, 2015 (1:31 pm)

    I agree @chemist keep voting for the same people keep getting the same results.

  • Ms. Sparkles September 28, 2015 (2:34 pm)

    I totally agree Joe Szilagyi! I love living here but it seems like the elected officials are afraid to make any decisions on their own. Take your budget, decide how to spend it. If your budget doesn’t cover it, then raise taxes and fees where you can before asking for a levy.

  • MSW September 28, 2015 (5:29 pm)

    Maybe we should sell off the big fancy money pit administrative building and distribute the proceeds to the schools. No one addresses where all the tax payer’s money is going. SSD historically has handled money poorly and the tax payers end up paying the price. How about some accountability for the money they are receiving. My kids need money for college. I can’t go and tax you for it. So I’m not too sympathetic to all you chest thumping tax raisers. It’s easy to spend other people’s money. How about doing an audit and find out how the money is being spent first and let’s see what we find before asking for more.

  • JayDee September 28, 2015 (7:49 pm)

    So if this is a continuation, why not hold it until citizens actually vote in an election? Like in November? I know it is a calculated ploy to get the true believers to force the vote. On it’s merits we should vote for it or against it, when most of us vote.

    • WSB September 28, 2015 (8:03 pm)

      That question was asked. I’ll have the answer in the story.

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