Proposition 1 would be a heavy burden

Proposition 1 for the Mercer Island School District’s $165 million bond would be a heavy financial burden for many Mercer Island homeowners.

In a report to the MISD Board, the property tax assessment of a $2.3 million home in 2026 would increase $1,142 and continue to increase subsequent years. Superintendent Fred Rundle has addressed the key points in their budget shortcomings, but was focused on buildings and not how the bond would benefit student academics.

The MISD credit rating has been downgraded to Aa2, which will result in $1 million to $2 million more interest for the $165 million bond issue. The downgrading is a result of the MISD being out of compliance with the mandated policy of maintaining annual budget reserves of at least 8%. Adding to the financial burden is an upcoming City of Mercer Island bond for a necessary replacement of our public safety building and city hall, which is asbestos contaminated.

James P. Harnisch, MD, Mercer Island

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Why we’re voting no on school bond

We’ve lived on Mercer Island since 1982, our kids went to public school here, my wife worked in each of the schools for many years, and we hope we can live out our lives in the home we made here. While we’ve supported Mercer Island School District bond issues in the past, this one gets a NO vote. The tax increase alone is not sustainable for those of us on a fixed income. But even more significant structural and governance issues push us to vote NO.

The planned capital improvements do nothing to address the decrease in student academic performance or declining enrollment as parents move their children into private schools. For example, 1 in 4 students are not on track for college-level learning without remedial classes. We don’t need to gold plate the high school and middle school while the three elementary schools continue to require repair.

The school board’s refusal to condemn one member’s hateful anti-Israel, not funny drug and alcohol use and foul language social media posts demonstrates a lack of moral judgment. The board’s censure of one member for trying to do something about the lack of an SAT testing site here and his dissent from the otherwise uncontested performance review of the superintendent is unacceptable.

The district’s leadership does not meet expectations. We will not approve any bond issue until these issues are corrected.

Michael J. (Mike) Bond, Mercer Island