Yakima board readies April 28 bond; moves May meeting and approves interlocal purchasing agreement

The Yakima School Board on March 30 heard a bond update from the district’s finance staff and took two procedural votes: it moved the May 19 board meeting to May 20 and approved an interlocal purchasing agreement to use BuyBoard procurement contracts.

Jake, the district’s chief financial officer, told the board that the district plans to put a bond before voters on April 28, 2026, and summarized voting thresholds and timelines. “If the bond is successful, we would in earnest begin permit and design work and like to be in the dirt by spring of ’27,” Jake said. He noted that passage requires 60%+1 approval and that state validation requires 40% turnout of the prior general election (he estimated about 4,000 voters for validation). The presentation also included a tax‑calculator tool on the district website, bilingual fact sheets and proposed renderings of school rebuilds.

Jake provided a rough per‑square‑foot estimate for the larger elementary rebuilds, saying the district uses an "all‑in" figure of about $1,000 per square foot to include demolition, design, fixtures and equipment. He said tentative schedules target a fall 2028 opening for a rebuild at Hoover Elementary and a fall 2029 opening for Garfield Elementary, with smaller projects (tracks, playgrounds, roofs and HVAC) running concurrently.

A public commenter, former employee Anthony Marietta, urged voters to support the bond, recounting facility improvements under current leadership and saying the investment would benefit neighborhoods and students. Marietta noted past project cost increases attributed to delays; a board member later clarified that the earlier escalation in Davis Performing Arts Center costs was driven by COVID‑era supply chain issues rather than a district overrun.

On calendar business, the board discussed a scheduling conflict with the Washington Association of School Administrators banquet and voted to move the May 19 meeting to Wednesday, May 20; the motion carried. Later the board approved an interlocal purchasing agreement with BuyBoard, which staff described as a nationwide cooperative contracting option that complies with Washington state bidding laws and can provide vendor economies of scale.

Jake reminded the public that the district has scheduled two bond information sessions (April 1 and April 14) and that materials — including a tax calculator and fact sheets in English and Spanish — are available on the district’s bond website.

The board adjourned after a brief second public‑comment period; no executive session was held.