Northshore School District studies levy and bond packages, weighing seismic, ADA and tax impacts

Northshore School District officials on Monday reviewed recommendations from the capital bond planning task force and ran tax-rate models for several ballot packages the board is considering for a February vote.

The study session, convened after the regular board meeting, centered on a prioritized “stack” of projects developed by the task force over nine months and three potential bond/levy layers. Presenters described critical facility work — including seismic retrofits, building replacements, accessibility upgrades, and field and technology projects — and modeled combinations of bond sizes and annual levies to show homeowner tax impacts.

Deputy Superintendent Birgie told the board that, using the district’s modeling assumptions, “If we asked for $3.36 in total, a $600,000,000 bond, a $40,000,000 tech levy, and the max EP and O, that is an increase of $260 a year, $21.67 a month, 71¢ a day.” The slide deck also showed the district’s total tax rate was $3.28 in 2022 and is estimated at about $3.10 in 2026 under certain scenarios.

Why it matters: Board members said they want to balance urgent safety and equity needs against voter tolerance for a large, all-or-nothing ballot question. Several directors stressed that seismic and accessibility concerns, even when categorized as “low” in the study, will read as urgent to families if their school is listed as needing work.

What staff presented: The task force prioritized completing multi-phase projects already underway (including a phase 2 at Inglemore High School and a full rebuild recommended for Leota), districtwide facility-condition-assessment items (windows, HVAC, roofing), prioritized seismic retrofits, and a slate of playground and field upgrades. Staff estimated contingency at roughly 2–3% and overhead at about 4% of any bond package.

Shelton View and Kokanee were highlighted as high-priority elementary projects. Staff said Shelton View “is in need of a full demolition and a rebuild,” and that an onsite swing facility the district owns would cost an estimated $30,000,000 to make usable as temporary housing; instead, the budget currently includes line items for student relocation, additional buses and furniture/equipment to absorb displaced students.

On fields and environmental costs, staff warned that updates to the King County stormwater manual have increased engineering and stormwater-treatment requirements and pushed field project costs higher, particularly for sites adjacent to wetlands such as Kemmerer Elementary.

Levies and trade-offs: Directors discussed maximizing the EP&O (educational and operational) levy to catch up on funding gaps left by state allocations, while accepting that levies — which are collected annually — drive most of the near-term tax-rate increases compared with longer-term bond repayment. Board members floated packages that pair a maximized EP&O levy with varying bond sizes (examples discussed: roughly $600M and $700M bonds) and tech levies between $30M and $40M per year.

Legal and planning context: Directors asked whether documented ADA shortfalls would require earlier remediation. Staff said they plan a transition study (modeled on a University of Washington study) to document deficiencies and present a phased pathway to full accessibility; staff noted that buildings constructed to code at the time remain technically compliant, even if they fall short of contemporary best practice.

Board direction and next steps: The board asked staff to return with additional modeling for specific packages — including tax-rate projections for 2027 and comparisons of $600M vs. $700M bond options and $35M vs. $40M tech levy scenarios — and to list other concurrent local levies or ballot measures so the district can evaluate voter bandwidth. No votes were taken; the study session will continue in two weeks and any formal action will be brought to the dais at the October board meeting.

The board thanked the task force and staff for the work and indicated members would continue shaping a package that balances the district’s safety, equity and instructional needs with what they believe the community can feasibly support.