LOS ANGELES — A Seattle-area school district is one step closer to issuing bonds to build a new school and expand existing ones.
The Mercer Island School Board unanimously approved a $98.8 million bond measure during a board meeting Sept. 26. The bond measure will go before voters Feb. 11.
"This bond will provide three solutions to help manage overcrowding in our classrooms at each level," said the school board's president, Janet Frohnmayer. "The focus and scale of these projects addresses current student needs as well as concerns from people we spoke with at our numerous community outreach events and discussions."
If approved by voters, the bond would provide funding for constructing a new elementary school at the North Mercer campus, expanding Islander Middle School and expanding Mercer Island High School.
The middle school would get 14 new classrooms and lab spaces, commons and cafeteria, gymnasium, music rooms, and administrative space. The high school would get 10 additional classrooms, including four science labs and six general education classrooms.
The total value of the bond is actually $102.6 million, but the state of Washington will provide $3.8 million in funds under the Credit Enhancement Act, which lowers the obligation of Mercer Island to $98.8 million.
The school district is located on Mercer Island, an island community located in Lake Washington between Seattle and Bellevue. The district currently has more than 4,120 full-time equivalent students in the district's three elementary schools, middle school, high school, and alternative program.
The February election will be an all-mail special election.
