Richland’s $314M bond for 3rd high school is failing. What happens next?
READ MORE
Tri-Cities 2024 Presidential Election Night Results
Expand All
Richland School District voters soundly rejected a $314 million bond measure to build a third high school to ease crowding, as well as pay for other improvements.
The issue was failing 46% in favor to 54% against as of Thursday’s ballot counts. It needed at least a 60% super majority to pass.
More ballots are left to be counted in Benton County but they won’t be enough to meet that threshold.
Previously, school board officials said if this bond request failed they would likely propose a second, modified measure in 2025.
Brianna Watson, campaign head for Richland Citizens for Good Schools, told the Tri-City Herald on Wednesday that the community was letting their opinion be known through their vote.
“Perhaps not the outcome we wanted, but if the community doesn’t feel the need, then they’ve spoken,” she said.
Watson said it was a “rough election” to be having conversations about local school funding. Races for U.S. president and statewide offices took the spotlight in the weeks leading up to the Nov. 5 election.
In recent the weeks, the district also announced some serious financial troubles, including some anticipated employee layoffs, a spending freeze and the need to leave positions unfilled. Just last week, the district delayed laying off several dozen paraeducators until they exhausted other options.
Officials have not said exactly how much they are trying to save to avoid a budget deficit this school year.
Still, Watson said she had not heard any feedback from voters concerned that the bond request was coming at a time when the district is facing a precarious financial situation.
The school board next meets at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 12, and is likely to discuss the results.
Richland school bond proposal
While Richland’s bond measure is the largest capital projects proposal in district history, advocates argued it would also pay for much-needed improvements for some of the district’s oldest buildings.
School officials said the combined list of projects was developed from numerous community meetings where the public outlined what projects they felt were most needed — including a brand new high school in West Richland.
Richland High School and Hanford High School are overcrowded by a combined 900 students. To address overflowing classrooms, as well as future growth, a third comprehensive high school — the first new one in 50 years — has been proposed in West Richland, one of the fastest-growing communities in Washington.
As of Friday morning, the measure has 13,129 votes in favor and 15,604 opposed.
About 54,000 registered voters live in the Richland School District.
In Washington state, bonds are for building schools and facilities while levies pay for learning and education programs.
Approval of the measure allows the district to sell school bonds to investors to pay for building projects. Investors are then repaid with interest from local property taxes collected over 20 years.
The new 260,000-square-foot high school would house 1,600 students. Its plans include space for athletic programs — most notably, a 2,000-seat stadium with artificial turf — a 800-seat auditorium, and Career and Technical Education classes and programs.
The bond also would pay for:
- A 40,000-square-foot building for River’s Edge High School and Pacific Crest Online Academy at $39 million. The new “innovative secondary school” would be on the current River’s Edge campus, at 975 Gillespie Street, for 300 students. It would replace a collection of aging modular buildings installed in 2001.
- Upgrades and additions to Richland and Hanford high schools at $20 million. Hanford would see improvements to the stadium and drama departments, including new grandstands, locker rooms and a scene shop. Richland would get a new multi-purpose practice room for its wresting, cheer and dance programs.
- A new West Richland transportation hub to share with Kiona-Benton City School District at $16 million, after outgrowing the current building at Lee Boulevard and Thayer Drive. It includes a new bus parking lot, mechanic bays and shop, and dispatch center in West Richland.
- Land acquisitions costing $20 million for future district construction and growth over the next 50 years.
- Various projects costing $10 million, including new high school tennis courts, running track replacements at middle schools and various renovations at Chief Joseph Middle School.
The total for all projects comes to more than $357 million.
If the school district passes the $314 million bond, the state plans to contribute roughly $43 million in matching money through the Washington School Construction Assistance Program.
The district also is busy working to correct a budget squeeze this school year by implementing a spending freeze and eliminating several vacant positions.
Public school districts across the state and U.S. have been making steep cuts in recent years to offset the rising cost of materials and operations, higher insurance costs, lower enrollment and the end of one-time federal dollars dolled out during the COVID pandemic.
This story was originally published November 5, 2024 at 8:16 PM.
