MOSES LAKE - What is best for the children? This is the primary question that we ask ourselves when making any decision for the Moses Lake School District. This is also the question that many community members and educators agonized over for more than 18 months in the long range facilities planning committee meetings. As we review our ballots we recently received in the mail we must all ask ourselves this same question, "What is best for the children?"

Let us first look at the maintenance and operation levy that is proposed. Basic education is not fully funded by the state of Washington and in recent years the Moses Lake School District has seen reductions from the state level to the tune of some $5 million. What the state provides to any school district is designed to cover the expense of basic education; however the state struggles with the definition of basic education. Music instruction, counselors, gifted programs, athletics, Science Olympiad, math bowl, band, choir, drama programs, nurses; the list goes on and on. This list represents just some of what is not considered basic education and therefore not funded at the state level. There have been countless studies that show without a doubt that these programs are critical to the success of the students. In years past the state has provided minimal support for property poor districts in what is termed as "levy equalization." This levy equalization for Moses Lake has been reduced by $2.3 million in the past 3 years and the remaining $1.9 million is to be cut during the current state budget review. As a school district we are forced to ask local voters to fund the programs mentioned above through a levy. The life of a levy is three years and we must return to you, the voters, at the expiration of each levy to ask for your continued support. The levy that is on your ballot now is a replacement levy and funds those programs for 2013 - 2015. The proposed levy does represent an increase in property taxes of $0.95 per $1,000 of assessed value. Some of this increase helps to fund the rollout of all-day kindergarten to all elementary schools, greatly enhancing the educational building blocks needed by these young kids to excel in future years. Additionally, the increase supports maintaining programs that otherwise would be lost with the $1.9 million cut from the state.

Switching gears to the proposed bond we would like to reference a statement made in the above paragraph, "The state struggles with the definition of basic education." When we, as a school board, visited Olympia this past weekend; we had the opportunity to sit down with legislators from the 7th, 12th, and 13th districts and discuss some of our concerns. One of many concerns raised was the fact that the state does not include construction of school facilities in any definition of basic education. How are we to provide a sound education to students without adequate facilities in which to do so? This is not to say that the state won't provide any support for construction, just to say that any support provided is minimal. The state match formula for construction projects dictates that a school district must be extensively overcrowded before the state will allocate resources to assist in the construction process.

The proposed bond has a value of $115 million. Many have asked how we came to that figure. The school district, like any business has a limit to their 'credit'. For us the limit is called bonding capacity. This bonding capacity is five percent of the total assessed value in the district less any outstanding debt the district has. As we looked at the recommendations from the long range facility planning committee and the needs of the district we had to keep in mind the bonding capacity and the projected future needs of the district. To put it simply, we made the decision that we feel is best for the students while maintaining fiscal responsibility and leaving "credit" for the future.

The bond as presented will provide funds to build two new elementary schools; this will enable us to shift the sixth graders back to the elementary buildings, thus reducing the extensive overcrowding at the middle schools. In addition, these two new elementary buildings will provide the space needed to roll out all-day kindergarten. The question has arisen, "why not just build a middle school?" The construction cost of a middle school is roughly three times that of just one elementary and we do not qualify for any state matching funds at the middle school level; we do qualify at the elementary level. The bond would also provide the resources necessary to build an additional high school to house grades 9-12. This new high school would be designed for growth and would open with space for 1,000 students and an infrastructure to handle 1500 - 1800 students. The bond will also fund the modernization of Moses Lake High School and the repair or replacement of the tennis courts, track and swimming pool cover.

This bond, like the levy, is replacing an old one. The bond you passed in 1993 will be paid in full at the end of this year and will be replaced with the proposed bond. The increase to property owners will be $0.92 per $1,000 of assessed value. We have not spoken to anyone who disagrees that our current high school is overcrowded and that we are in desperate need of additional space. That space does not come without costs.

The school district administration and the school board have been very diligent in this process and have made the recommendations based on the question presented in the opening line, "What is best for the children?" The figures we have shared with you are intentionally high. We have performed all calculations with the worst case scenario in mind. In 2007 the community voted in favor of a bond that provided all of us with Sage Point Elementary and Park Orchard Elementary in addition to various other improvements throughout the district. That bond was approved at a collection rate of $1.85 per $1,000 of assessed value. The actual rate of collection paid by property owners in 2011 was $1.18 per $1,000 of assessed value. When we calculated the numbers for the newly proposed levy and bond we took into consideration disputed industrial assessed values but we did not attempt to add in industrial property that has not been assessed by the county assessor. As the assessed value of the property within the school district boundaries continues to increase the collection rate realized by individual property owners continues to decline, much like what has happened with the 2007 bond.

This community, both from the business side and the individual side has always been very supportive of the education community and of our children. It is our sincere hope and prayer that you will continue to support the children and vote yes on both the levy and the bond. Please feel free to contact Michelle Price or Mark Johnson at the district office 509-766-2650 with any questions. You may also reach out to any board member via email at [email protected].

This guest editorial was signed by Moses Lake School District board President Kevin Donovan, board Vice President Connie Opheikens, board members Allan Burritt, Vicki Groff and Lew Mason.