Want to know how Kennewick School District’s proposed $125 million bond would affect you?

Want to know how the Kennewick School District’s proposed $125 million bond would affect you? Two community information sessions are planned, starting this week.

They’re at 7:30 a.m. Jan. 10 and at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 16 at the district’s administration center, 1000 W. Fourth Ave. Ballots will be mailed later this month; the election is Feb. 12.

Superintendent Dave Bond will present details about the bond projects, which include replacing the aging Kennewick High, adding classrooms and making athletic improvements at Kamiakin and Southridge high schools, the second phase of the Amistad Elementary replacement, the replacement or remodel of Ridge View Elementary, and the construction of a brand new elementary school in a high-growth area.

The projects are needed to maintain the district’s building inventory and keep pace with enrollment growth, officials have said. Kennewick High is particularly in need of replacement, with the current downtown facility dating to the 1950s.

A virtual tour of the new Kennewick High is planned during the meetings.

The bond will cost district taxpayers an estimated $5 a month on a $200,000 home.

However, even with the addition of the bond, they’ll still shell out less for schools than in recent years, thanks to changes in the state education funding system.

The changes include a cap on local school levies.

In 2017, for example, district residents paid $7.17 per $1,000 of assessed property value for schools. They’ll pay an estimated $6.94 per $1,000 of assessed value in 2020, with the bond.

The bond measure needs 60 percent approval to pass.

More information: www.ksd.org/bond.

This story was originally published January 9, 2019 at 2:06 PM.