Two Hood Canal levies on February ballot

The Hood Canal School District has placed two levies on the Feb. 11 special election ballot.

One proposal is a six-year capital levy to pay for infrastructure and technology upgrades that would include replacing an aging transportation center and creating spaces for art, music and pre-kindergarten. The other is a four-year replacement Educational Programs and Operations levy to sustain programs and services the district calls critical.

The Hood Canal School District serves about 330 students in prekindergarten through the eighth grade.

The Hood Canal School Board voted to place the levies on the ballot at its Nov. 26 meeting.

If passed, the capital levy for safety, critical infrastructure and technology upgrades will raise $19.1 million between 2026 and 2031.

The proposal comes in the wake of the district's proposed $33.5-million building bond narrowly missing the 60% super-majority needed to pass in November 2023 and in February.

Unlike a building bond, a capital levy needs a simple majority to pass. One difference is the proposed capital levy would be for six years, while the district's proposed building bond would have been levied for 21 years.

In crafting the new capital proposal, the district sought the opinions of students, staff, parents and community in putting together the proposal, Superintendent Lance Gibbon said in an interview with the Journal.

"We asked them, 'What are the needs? What are your priorities?'"

The proposal was put together by a different architect, Bassett Architects, than the one that created the building bond proposal.

"We asked them to gather input and use it to reimagine a proposal that would address the needs and fit into a reduced budget," Gibbon said.

The school doesn't have a dedicated music room or adequate art and STEM spaces. If the capital levy passes, the stage in the gym will become a musical classroom. A new art room would be constructed across the hall.

The aging transportation center needs to be replaced to ensure efficiency and safety, according to the district. The proposal calls for a new structure northwest of the school. The current transportation center would be removed and become a parking lot next to the athletic field.

A new library and STEM lab would be built side-by-side. Classrooms would be expanded for a new space for prekindergarten.

On the northeast corner of the property, a lighted trail would be created for people walking to and from the school on North Reservation Road.

The renewal of an EP&O levy passed by voters four years ago would not increase the current tax, the district states. The district states the levy is crucial for sustaining programs not fully funded by the state, including smaller class sizes, special education, arts and electives, athletics, activities, field trips, nursing services and food programs.

If passed, the levy will cost homeowners a maximum $1.15 per $1,000 of assessed property value. For a home valued at $300,000, that would mean $345 annually. If that levy passes, the district will also receive $6.5 million in state matching money.

The district's proposed $33.5-million building bond fell 45 votes short of passing in the November 2023 general election. The measure received 58.1%, short of the 60% super-majority required.

The Hood Canal School Board on Nov. 21, 2023 voted to put the same proposal in front of voters on the Feb. 13 ballot. It received 56.8%.