Levy measures on Sept. 24 School Board agenda
The School Board reviewed first readings of resolutions for the six-year planning of the capital projects and technology levy and the 2016 school transportation levy. The capital projects and technology levy would provide a total of $38,431,348 over six years for facilities improvements and technology expenses at a tax rate of $2.72.
“This is essentially a replacement levy, it’s not a tax increase,” Board President Brian Emanuels said. “It maintains tax rates at their current rate for the six year duration and will fund a number of important maintenance projects and improvements that we need throughout the district.”
The transportation vehicle fund levy is a one-year levy that will allow the district to replace school buses when needed. Funds through this levy would also allow the district to gradually fuel buses with propane. If approved, the district will order it’s first propane-fueled bus in November.
Both resolutions will be on the agenda at the Board’s Sept. 24 regular meeting. If approved, the resolutions would be submitted to King County Elections to be put on the Feb. 9 special election ballot.
Documents summarizing planning for the capital projects and technology levy and the transportation vehicle fund levy can be viewed through the Mercer Island Schools’s BoardDocs page.
Eight MIHS seniors are National Merit Scholarship semifinalists
Eight seniors from Mercer Island High School are among the 16,000 National Merit Scholarship semifinalists, which the organization announced Sept. 9.
Andrew Barnwell, Dana He, David Hendricks, Eugenie Morton, Lindsey Reitinger, Aidan Wang, Natalie Weaver and Nora Yagolnitser will compete for some 7,400 National Merit Scholarships, worth more than $32 million, that will be offered next spring.
The nationwide pool of semifinalists, representing less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors, includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state.
About 1.5 million juniors in over 22,000 high schools entered the 2016 National Merit Scholarship program. From the 16,000 semifinalists, about 15,000 are expected to advance to the finalist level, with finalists being notified in February. All National Merit Scholarship winners will be selected from the finalist group.
Three types of National Merit Scholarships will be offered in the spring of 2016. Every finalist will compete for one of 2,500 National Merit $2500 Scholarships that will be awarded on a state-representational basis.
About 1,000 corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards will be provided by approximately 250 corporations and business organizations for finalists who meet their specified criteria. In addition, about 190 colleges and universities are expected to finance some 3,900 college-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards for finalists who will attend the sponsor institution.
Superintendent reports school counts
Superintendent Dr. Gary Plano presented to the School Board an early-year summary of attendance numbers.
Through the first two days of the 2015-16 year, the district was budgeted for 4,392 students, with an actual student count of 4,320. MISD listed it was under budget 40 students at the elementary level, 22 at the middle school and 10 at the high school.
This time last year, the district budgeted for 4,303 students and reported 10 students over.
