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

 Revised 11/06/02

NEWS RELEASE
New High School Can Be Built 
With No Increase in Tax Rate

The two citizens ad hoc committees that had been studying issues and solutions related to overcrowding in Auburn’s high schools over the last six months made their final recommendations to the Auburn School District Board of Directors on Monday, October 28.

The charge for Committee #1 from the Auburn School District board of directors was to review the two previous ad hoc citizens committees’ recommendations and study financial issues of funding a new high school.  Committee members recommended that the Auburn School District place the new high school bond on the February 2003 voter ballot.  They also recommended that the financing for the new high school should be funded by the sale of bonds for the full cost of the project, less impact fees that have been collected and are reasonably anticipated to be collected prior to completion of the high school construction.  They recommended structuring the bond sale in a manner that would cap increase taxpayers’ current school tax rate.

Committee #2 was charged with developing interim solutions for the high school overcrowding based on the assumption that there would be no new high school for the next ten years.  The committee’s short-term recommendations were 1) increase the use of portables 2) restructure the district boundaries moving some Auburn Riverside High School student populations to Auburn High School 3) increase daytime enrollment at West Auburn High School, 4) continue to restrict out-of-district waivers, and 5) develop an array of alternate programs that would help reduce school populations during the regular school day, including distance education courses, College in the High School, and expanded Running Start options.  The committee’s longer-term recommendations were to develop and implement a high school extended-day schedule utilizing shifting, multi-track, and extended-period models.  These models would need to maximize facilities beyond the normal school day and offer a full breadth of academic programming.  The committee also recommended that the district maintain an instructional program that meets college, state, and district requirements. 

The Auburn School Board of Directors will review the two citizens committees’ recommendations and will determine a course of action during November.

The public is encouraged to attend a special board meeting on Thursday, November 7 at 7 p.m. in the board room of the James P. Fugate Administration Building, 915 4th Street Northeast, Auburn.

For more information, contact Mike Newman, associate superintendent of business and operations, at (253) 931-4930.