After considerable consideration, and consultation with another former school board member I will be voting no on the school bond. I wanted to share my reasons in an effort to share with, and educate voters:
1) The board has reduced fees just last year saying they expect no new building. That means that development that has been permitted since then is NOT paying their fair share of impact fees. That means that the district is asking you and I to make up the difference - the lost income from them not paying their fair share.
2) The district is forever singing the budget blues. While there are significant revenue issues (see recent court decision on state funding) they simply do not avail themeselves of all available revenue, usually because they do not want to rankle a certain constituency (i.e., developers, legislature).
I have absolutely no problem paying what is required for the highest quality education for Olympia's children. Problem is the school board is not - at least they lack the simple courage to seek revenues that are legally, and morally theirs.
I understand that the district is going to bond now to avail itself of lower (thanks Europe) rates. Commendable, but insufficient. Get the impact fess from those causing the impacts. That is exactly what it is for.
I will vote yes on the levy as these operational costs must be borne by us.
Russ Lehman