Auburn School District No. 408
915 4th Street Northeast, Auburn, WA  98002

 02/20/02

NEWS RELEASE
High School Bond Will Be On The
Tuesday, March 12 Ballot

The Auburn School Board of Directors approved a resolution to resubmit a $54,000,000 school improvement bond for local voter's approval on Tuesday, March 12.  Because Washington State school elections require a 60% approval, the bond issue narrowly failed in the February 5 election by 132 votes (58.89% approval).  The bond is being resubmitted because of the strong number of voters who approved the issue and because of the overcrowding at the two district high schools as well as the escalating high school enrollment projected for the future.

The bond proposition will fund the construction of a third comprehensive high school to be opened in 2004.  The high school will be built in the Lea Hill area on 40 acres already owned by the district.  The school's core facility will house 1,500 students as recommended by the Citizens Ad Hoc Committee and will eliminate current overcrowding as well as accommodate future enrollment growth.

Auburn High School and Auburn Riverside High School are the largest four-year high schools in King County.  On October 1, Auburn High School had an enrollment of 2,345 students and Auburn Riverside High School had an enrollment of 1,851 students.  Combined, Auburn High School and Auburn Riverside High School currently have 24 portable classrooms housing students.  Auburn School District's high school enrollment is projected to increase 469 students by 2004 and 626 students by 2007.

Since the mid-1980's, Auburn School District has been committed to addressing the facility demands of student population growth.  Three different citizen ad hoc committees have made recommendations to Auburn School District that priority be given to accommodating enrollment growth.  This bond proposition continues the implementation of those citizen recommendations by providing the fiscal resources to meet these needs.  The average cost per thousand dollars of assessed property value for the next 14 years on this proposition is 41 cents.

Click here for an information sheet regarding facts on the upcoming Tuesday, March 12 election.
This function will require Adobe Acrobat Reader, the sheet is in pdf format.

For more information, contact Auburn School District superintendent, Linda Cowan, at (253) 931-4914.