Mercer Island School District News highlights 2014 bond and levy

The print edition of the Mercer Island School District News will arrive in residential mailboxes on Mercer Island soon, but can be read online now.

The print edition of the Mercer Island School District News will arrive in residential mailboxes on Mercer Island soon, but it can be read online now.

The winter 2014 edition highlights the Mercer Island School District bond and levy propositions on the Feb. 11 ballot. More detailed information can be found on the website of each district school by clicking the “Feb. 2014 Bond & Levy” link.

The first proposition is a $98.8 million bond which, if successful, will fund three targeted facilities projects to address overcrowding in Mercer Island schools. There are currently more than 4,300 students in the district, which is over design capacity by about 750 students. That has resulted in the use of 34 portable classrooms to help accommodate the current number of students. For a property with an assessed value of $1 million, passage of Proposition 1 would result in a property tax increase of $0.25 per thousand dollars, or $250 more than one currently pays per year and extending for 18 years.

The second proposition is a four-year renewal of the maintenance and operation levy. The levy provides 26 percent of the district general operating budget, including funding for about 100 teachers and other staff. Passage of Proposition 2 would result in a property tax increase of $0.06 per thousand dollars of assessed property value, or $60 more than one currently pays per year on a property with an assessed value of $1 million.

The election will be an all-mail special election, meaning voters will receive their ballots by mail. King County Elections estimates that ballots will be mailed out on Jan. 22. Ballots must be postmarked by Feb. 11 or returned to a ballot drop box by 8 p.m. on the day of the election.