Richland reconsiders portables, new schedules, year-round school after voters reject bond
The Richland School District may wait until after its 2026 operating levy campaign to go back to voters on the issue of building a third comprehensive high school.
The idea was floated Tuesday at the school board’s regular meeting, following last week’s failure of a $314 million bond that would have paid for that construction project and several others.
As of Thursday, the bond was failing by more than 2,200 votes, with nearly 53% against it and 47% in support. It needed at least 60% to pass.
Now, district officials say they may wait until early 2027 to ask voters to reconsider funding another high school, which wouldn’t open until 2030 at the earliest.
School officials Richland and Hanford high schools are currently overcrowded by about 900 students, and plans to add a high school in West Richland have been talked about for nearly a decade.
On Tuesday, Richland Superintendent Shelley Redinger said they could consider a few options to alleviate overcrowding in the coming years, including installing more portable classrooms or putting some schools on alternate bell schedules.
The school board also is studying initial options around piloting a “balanced calendar,” or year-round school, although no decisions have been made on that issue.
Rising construction costs
Before the election, district officials were considering alternative ways to ease overcrowding, but changed course earlier this year when many parents and community members made it abundantly clear they wanted the third high school.
Now some worry the delay will cost taxpayers even more with the rising price materials and labor.
“If we wait two more years, I’m afraid that $314 million bond turns into a $516 million bond,” said board Vice President Jill Oldson, who suggested the district examine splitting the bond into two smaller proposals.
In addition to the third high school, Richland’s 2024 bond would have funded a new $39 million building for River’s Edge High School and Pacific Crest Online Academy, $20 million in upgrades at Richland High School and Hanford High School, a $16 million transportation co-op hub to share with Kiona-Benton City School District, $20 million in land acquisitions and $10 million in various renovations.
The state would have contributed $43 million in matching money through its Washington School Construction Assistance Program.
School board members said the River’s Edge project was among the district’s highest needs and it was tough to see that project, in particular, not get funded.
Bond revenue would have allowed them to build a new 40,000-square-foot building at 975 Gillespie Street, replacing a collection of decrepit modular buildings installed in 2001.
School board member Bonnie Mitchell questioned if the proposed new high school in West Richland should instead become a “choice school” similar to the Tri-Tech Skills Center in Kennewick.
“Those kinds of schools are becoming more and more popular as kids’ learning styles go away from sitting still in a classroom all day. But I just think we need to be more forward-thinking if we’re spending so much money and we’re expecting it to last for decades for our community,” she said.
She said the 14,000-student district needs to collect more quality feedback on project proposals.
Failed school bond vote
The bond failure this month marks the end of Richland’s unblemished record of passing school measures.
For the past two decades, voters in the district have approved every bond and operations levy presented to them. Its last bond, passed in 2017, paid for three new elementary schools and renovations at Richland and Hanford high schools.
The fate of the 2024 bond — the largest the district had ever sought — was likely mired by budget decisions made by district administrators in the last month to freeze spending and cut vacant positions to make up for a looming $2.5 million budget shortfall.
The unease also was possibly fueled by the recent departure of its top finance boss and the sudden pausing plans to eliminate paraeducator positions while it draws up a clearer cost-cutting plan.
School board members acknowledged Tuesday they need to focus on finances and on retaining support for its operations levy, which pays for basic education and extracurricular activities. Bonds only pay for construction projects.
Board President Rick Jansons said running a school measure on a November ballot also was problematic since parents and campaign leaders are often busy with their kids during the election season.
And the decision to ask voters for the bond was also complicated by the COVID pandemic and new demographic data that showed the district was not growing as fast as it was before the pandemic.
