Renton School District Considers Another Go At Failed Bond

The The Renton School District Board will meet tonight at Campbell Hill Elementary to discuss the February special election and the capital projects process. The board will meet at 5 p.m. and will begin its regular meeting at 7 p.m.

King County Elections Canvassing Board met on Tuesday, Feb. 28 to certify the final Feb. 14 election results:

• The , which required a simple majority passed with a yes vote of 61.71 percent.
• The , which required a 60 percent yes vote and a minimum turnout of 10,582, failed with a yes vote of 58.08 percent.
• The , which required a simple majority passed with  a yes vote of 60.48 percent.  

On Wednesday night, the board will consider a proposal to place the failed on the April 17 ballot.  

The district currently lacks the funding to build a new middle school, repair the Lindbergh pool, or be able to do any of the needed work on other schools, School District spokesperson Randy Matheson said earlier this month. The $97,000,000 Building for a Lifetime of Learning School Building Improvement Bonds would have funded those projects.  

and he’s concerned that the failed bond could mean the closure of the Lindberg Pool. The facility had been , but donations kept it open for the 2011-2012 school year.  

“It is not sustainable to look for donations,” Carlson said of keeping the pool open and properly maintained for years to come.  

He’s again looking for volunteers, although only about a half-zone have come forward. Visit the Renton Pools Community Facebook page for more information.

The fate of the is only one facility left hanging by the failure of the bond. Without the bond, the District does not have the funds to construct a new middle school to alleviate overcrowding.  

Matheson said the District has grown more than 100 students each year for the past seven years.  

Assistant Superintendent John Knutson is scheduled to present an update to the School Board about the February election results at Wednesday night's School Board meeting (click on the pdf to the right to see his presentation).  

Prior to the regular meeting, the School Board will convene for a study session at Campbell Hill Elementary to review the capital projects process (click on the pdf to the right to review a PowerPoint presentation that will be given at the study session).