Bellevue school board approves bond and levy measures to go to Feb. 11 ballot

The levy measures are renewals of the district's Educational Programs and Operations Levy, presently set to expire in 2014, and the Technology and Capital Projects Levy, set to expire in 2015.

The board of the Bellevue School District voted Nov. 19 to put a bond measure and two levy measures on the ballot for the Feb. 11 special election.

The levy measures are renewals of the district’s Educational Programs and Operations Levy, presently set to expire in 2014, and the Technology and Capital Projects Levy, set to expire in 2015.

The Educational Programs and Operations Levy funds 27 percent of the district budget, according to a press release. A renewal would approve the total levy of $253.8 million in taxes, to be collected in increments annually through 2018.

The Technology and Capital Projects Levy finances the district’s Capital Projects Fund for investments in facility improvements, computer technology, technology infrastructure and training in technologies. A renewal would approve the total levy of $104 million to be collected through 2019.

The bond measure would raise $450 million for Phase III capital construction projects via the sale of general obligation bonds, to be paid back to investors through debt service. The funds would continue a capital construction campaign begun in 2002 to rebuild several campuses to support greater enrollment capacity.

Elementary schools Enatai, Clyde Hill, Puesta del Sol, Stevenson and Bennett would be rebuilt, as would Highland Middle School. Newport High School and Woodridge Elementary School would be expanded and International School and Big Picture would be improved. Two new elementary schools would be constructed.

The district estimated that if all three measures pass, the new property tax rate would be such that a citizen with a home assessed at $448,000 — the average evaluated home price in Bellevue — would increase $66 per year for the next five years. The property tax rate would be scaled to each residence’s county property valuation.

Education advocacy group Bellevue Quality Schools announced Nov. 20 it would support all three measures.