ROYAL CITY - The $8.75 million Royal School District school construction bond election is under way. It will close on Feb. 12.

Ballots were mailed to all known registered district voters on Jan. 23. If you have not received one and desire to vote, contact the elections department at the Grant County Auditor's office at 754-2011.

Ballots may be returned at any time but no later than 8 p.m. on Feb. 12. If you are not registered to vote, you may do that, in person only, at the auditor's office until Feb. 4.

There will be drive-up ballot drop box locations at Lot A at the Grant County Courthouse in Ephrata and Fire District No. 10 at 588 Camelia St. in Royal City.

Ballot boxes will be locked promptly at 8 p.m. on the night of Feb. 12. If you are mailing in your ballot, it must be postmarked no later than Feb. 12, and sufficient postage is required.

The Auditor's office is also the place to go for replacement ballots. Completed ballots may be dropped of there from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 7 a.m.-8 p.m. on Feb. 12, the official election day.

Any additional information or assistance can be obtained by calling the Grant County Election Department at 754-2011.

The District will be seeking approval of the sale of $8.75 million in construction bonds. Approval would bring $4.4 million in state matching funds. The district would throw in $1.1 million it has saved for a total of $14.25 million in new school construction.

That amount would allow the district to add four classrooms to the high school and 14 classrooms and a gymnasium to the fifth-grade pod to create a new intermediate school.

If that were accomplished, Royal Schools would change from elementary (K-5, including pod), middle (6-8) and high school (9-12) to K-3 elementary, 4-6 intermediate, 7-8 middle and high school.

The bonds would be retired over 15 years at an interest rate of 3.21 percent. The property tax assessment to accomplish that would be $1.19 per $1,000 of property value.

In other words, approval would cost the owner of a $100,000 home $119 per year in added property tax.

"This 20-classroom plan is more aggressive than past plans," business manager David Andra said. "It will meet district needs several years into the future."