On Feb. 14, voters in Elma School District will decide on a proposed $66 million bond that would fund construction of a new school and updated athletic fields among other improvements for the fast-growing district.

The bond would draw property taxes from owners in the district — $2.68 per $1,000 of assessed value — which would amount to about $67 dollars per month for a property valued at $300,000, according to the district.

A planning committee of 38 community members, including district staff, parents, community members and local leaders, met six times in 2022 and made a final recommendation for a bond plan, which was approved by the board in December. That process, combined with community surveys in forums, was part of what Elma School District Superintendent Chris Nesmith said is an effort to shift the approach when it comes to school district bonds.

“We’re really trying to move to a mindset where everything is community driven,” Nesmith said in an interview. “If the community members aren’t happy with the ask, then we need community members to show up to be part of the ask. We want the community to design, own and build any ask we make.”

A major portion of the bond — $45 million — would be devoted to the construction of a new school on the grounds of Elma Elementary School, behind where the current school sits. The new school which would serve fourth through sixth grade students in an intermediate elementary school, according to Nesmith.

Nesmith said the current elementary school, which serves pre-K through fifth grade students, is at full capacity, as is Elma Middle School. In roughly the last year and a half, Elma School District as a whole has grown by 170 students. Nesmith said Elma Elementary is one of the largest in the state, currently serving 750 students, while a typical elementary school in Washington serves under 500.

Elma Elementary is currently comprised of six different buildings, according to IBI Group, an engineering consulting firm the district hired to complete a study of school grounds. The main building and gym were constructed in 1971, with modernizations made in 1997. The kindergarten building and covered play shed were built in 1979, and the fifth grade building was built in 1987.

While community surveys showed concern about large class sizes, they also cost the district money — teachers with classes over a certain threshold have to be paid more, Nesmith said.

“We have two administrators managing 750 students, and one counselor managing 750 students,” Nesmith said. “We’re beyond the prototypical service rate.”

Nesmith said the new intermediate school would have its own administration.

Another option to ease the bulging school, Nesmith said, is with portable classrooms.

“At the end of the day we’re going to have to do something to house students,” Nesmith said. “That money would have to come out of a levy to pay for portables. Our thought was that we’re going to be using taxpayer money regardless, so our taxpayers should have a say in what pocket that comes out of.”

Not only are the classrooms congested, Nesmith said, but so are the parking lots. About $2.8 million of the bond would go to building new parking space, aimed at streamlining student pick-up and drop-off areas and relieving the buildup of traffic on the main road near the elementary school.

Community surveys also indicated a need for updated athletic fields, also on the Elma Elementary School grounds. If passed, the bond would devote $15 million to a row of renovated fields and a covered grandstand.

About $2.5 million of the bond would go to renovating the science and Career and Technical Education (CTE) shop buildings at Elma High School. The original part of the current building was constructed in 1958. Nesmith said Elma’s CTE program is currently a leader in the state.

If the bond is passed, construction projects are projected to begin in 2024 and finish by 2026. Based on projected construction costs for 2025, the bond projects will cost $66 million, but that number will rise to $74 million if delayed by 2027 due to inflation, according to the district.

Nesmith said the district hasn’t yet hired an architect to create exact blueprints or designs — the work is expensive and would be futile if the bond were to fail. Whether or not the bond is passed, a long-range facilities committee will reconvene in March or April to decide on next steps.

“However this goes, we’re going to be going back and reconvening our community,” Nesmith said.

The bond would need 60% of the vote, a supermajority, in order to pass. The last time Elma School District passed a bond was in 1995, for nearly $4 million. Voters then rejected proposed bonds in 2010, 2014, 2015 and 2020.

The district passed a replacement Education Procedures and Operations levy in February 2022, which will garner roughly $2.19 per $1,000 of assessed value in 2023 and 2024, respectively.

Contact reporter Clayton Franke at 406-552-3917 or clayton.franke@thedailyworld.com.