Clarification: 10.30 —“Ephrata SD moves forward on $75M bond election” published Oct. 30 has a clarification. The proposed bond would work towards having a closed and contained high school; however, it would not complete the project in its entirety. 

EPHRATA – The Ephrata School District Facility Study Group proposed a $75 million bond to the Ephrata School Board on Monday night. The board unanimously approved Superintendent Ken Murray to move forward with a bond resolution for the board to vote on. If passed by the board, the bond will appear on the February 2026 ballot.  

“The bond resolution is the result of careful community planning and shared vision,” said the School Board Chair, Jim Adams. “It’s about investing wisely today to give our students the safe, modern learning spaces they deserve for decades to come.” 

The proposed measure recommends replacing both Grant Elementary and Parkway Intermediate schools. It will also fund projects at Ephrata High School, including new classrooms, a new main office, and modernizing the performing arts auditorium. If passed by voters, there will be an estimated tax increase of $1.07 per $1,000 of assessed property value with a 25-year term. Up to $27 million in additional funding will be provided from Washington State’s School Construction Assistance Program, which provides matching funds to support eligible school construction projects.   

“This community group gave countless hours to this process,” said Ken Murray. “Their recommendation reflects both the realities of our facilities and a shared commitment to providing equitable, high-quality learning spaces for every Ephrata student.” 

Process 

The district began gathering information on the bond in October 2024. A group of around 50 people met consistently for over 18 months to develop the bond package. 

“We had former board administrators, directors, teachers – current teachers and retired teachers, former students,” Ephrata Fire Chief Jeremy Burns said. “I think what has been the most important is we have had the retirees, we had the working class in their 40s, the working class in their 20s starting out, the new homeowners, the renters, landlords, and business owners.”  

The process included reviewing a community survey, separating needs from wants, and analyzing financial data to ensure the proposal was realistic.  

“As a group, we had a unanimous agreement on the bond package we are presenting to you tonight,” Burns said.  

Options 

The Facility Study Group narrowed the bond proposition down to two options.  

The first option included only replacing Grant and Parkway schools, which would have resulted in a $61 million bond. However, it would have put off any work on the high school. 

The second option, the proposition that was presented to the board, would replace both schools and also begin the work on the high school. 

“Option number two is the only option in my opinion,” Adams said.  

Burns said the facility study group decided if they didn’t start working on the high school, it would push the project out by 25 to 30 years.  

Grant 

If the bond is approved, it would fund a new building for Grant Elementary. The replacement would cost around $48 million, with around $34 million coming from local funds.  

According to a statement from the Ephrata School District, more than 40% of Grant students learn in portable classrooms. This is not a long-term solution, according to the facility study group.  

“It was a high priority for the portables to be replaced. Whatever buildings are built need to be sized to be able to handle these students without needing to use modular classrooms,” Design West Architect’s Architect Ned Warnick said.  

The district conducted a building condition assessment. Grant scored a 54.7% rating, whereas Columbia Ridge Elementary scored a 99.1% rating. Both schools serve grades from kindergarten to fourth grade.  

“We are trying to get equity in the area for the kids’ education in Ephrata and try to eliminate the disparity between what kids have at Columbia Ridge and what kids are in at Grant right now,” Warnick said.  

The new Grant would be a 28-classroom school built on district-owned property near Columbia Ridge, moving the school from its current location near Ephrata High School. The new site would allow for the existing building to still be an instructional space until the new site is completed.  

If the bond passes, design will begin in March 2026, with move-in expected for August 2028.  

Parkway 

Parkway Intermediate School would also be fully replaced, costing around $35 million, with nearly $27 million coming from local funds. Parkway scored even lower than Grant on the building condition assessment with a 55.4% rating. Parkway serves fifth and sixth grades.  

Currently, Parkway is located in a neighborhood that has created traffic hazards and limits access for families, according to the district. The new building would be built on the current Grant Elementary campus on the practice fields. Grant will be torn down after construction is completed and the practice field will be relocated.  

“There will be some time while we are moving that around and there will be some construction because we are going to keep kids in permanent facilities until the new ones are built. Then once we take down the old facilities, we will be able to get back to having the same playground,” Warnick said.  

The new Parkway campus would have 20 classrooms, a new gymnasium with a full-size court, expanded space for school activities, and add an additional venue for Ephrata High School athletic events and community use.   

If passed by voters, design and expected move-in dates will be the same as Grant.  

High school 

Ephrata High School would receive renovations, making it one closed campus with a central office, instead of several separate buildings. The cost of this would be around $21 million, with nearly $15 million coming from local funds.  

Ephrata High School scored a 73.5% rating on the building condition assessment. It serves grades nine through 12. 

“In conclusion, you would have a single, securable high school building that a kid could go into in the morning and not leave again until it is time for them to get in their car or hop on the bus to go home,” Warnick said. “It would not be a campus like it is now, where kids are wandering around and moving around. You would be able to keep them controlled and secure.”  

The renovations include a new auditorium, replacing the Performing Arts Center auditorium, adding six new classrooms, adding a new office space and demolishing or decommissioning parts of PAC and Beezley.  

"Then the Ephrata High School, the long range goal expressed by the committee is to end up in the high school is a consolidated, closed campus. The campus that can be secure for kids to walk around between three different buildings. We are working towards that with this project," Warnick said.     Ned Warnick, an architect from Design West Architects, provided insight into the Ephrata bond proposition during Monday night's regular school board meeting.