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

01/08/03

NEWS RELEASE
New High School Will Ease Overcrowding and
Not Increase School Tax Rate

The passage of the new high school bond on the Tuesday, February 4, election will address the overcrowding in Auburn School District’s two large high schools with no increase in the school tax rate.  The decision to place a new high school bond before local voters was unanimously decided by the Auburn School District Board of Directors based on recommendations from two volunteer citizen committees that spent several months studying high school overcrowding.  The citizen committees’ recommended the construction of the new high school as being necessary to house the rapidly increasing number of students enrolled at the district’s high school level.

On October 1, 2002, Auburn High School had an enrollment of 2,376 students and Auburn Riverside High School, an enrollment of 1,862 students.  Auburn School District’s high school enrollment is projected to increase over 600 students by 2005.

The funding of a new high school at no increase in school tax rate is the result of paying off existing bonds.  Several school construction bonds will be paid off in the next few years.  The bonds that funded the building of Rainier Middle School, Hazelwood Elementary, and the remodeling of West Auburn High School will be paid off in 2004.  Bonds that funded the building of Ilalko Elementary School, Mt. Baker Middle School, and Auburn Riverside High School will be paid off in 2007. 

For 2003, the projected school tax rate for local taxpayers served by Auburn schools is $5.37 per $1,000 of assessed property value, a decrease from the 2002 rate of $5.50.  The projected amount of $5.37 for 2003 includes the educational programs and operations levy, technology levy, and existing construction bonds.  As these existing school taxes retire, the combined amount of taxes in 2004 will be decreased by 25 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value.  Passage of the new high school bond will replace these retiring taxes at the same rate of 25 cents, resulting in no change or increase in local school tax rates.  This rate is projected to continue with no increase through 2005, at which time it is projected to decrease.  (Auburn School District has a long history of financial planning which has consistently ensured a stable school tax rate for local taxpayers.) 

By the time the new high school opens its doors, it will be have been ten years since Auburn School District has built a new school.  If the bond passes with a 60 percent approval rate in the Tuesday, February 4 election, the new high school would open in the fall of 2005. 

For electronic access to the Citizens Ad Hoc Committees’ Recommendations on High School Overcrowding go to www.auburn.wednet.edu; new high school bond information link.  Also, call (253) 931-4914 for more information.