CHIMACUM — The decisive defeat of Chimacum Schools’ $34.8 million bond proposal Tuesday hasn’t discouraged district officials.
They plan to try again in April and continue trying if needed.
The bond measure, which required a 60 percent majority for passage, received a slim majority with 2,033 votes, or 50.88 percent, in favor and 1,963 votes, or 49.12 percent, opposed.
It would have funded improvements including the renovation of Chimacum Creek Primary School, rebuilding the elementary school and the construction of an athletic facility.
The School Board was expected to discuss what to do next when it met this week.
Rich Stewart, the district’s superintendent, said the first step will be a public survey to determine what voters liked and did not like about the measure, with an eye to developing a new measure.
The School Board could decide at its Feb. 25 meeting, or a subsequent special meeting, to place a measure on the April 28 ballot, which has a March 13 filing deadline, Stewart said.
“I am optimistic that we can do this,” he said.
“If it turns out that we can’t, we’ll do it again in November or at some future time.”
The bond proposal could be pared down or the prospective improvements divided into two separate measures, Stewart said, but nothing is currently certain.
“This is a worthwhile project,” he said.
“We are not asking for anything beyond what other school districts generally have.”
Chimacum High School Principal Whitney Meissner attributed the measure’s failure to the district’s inability to communicate its importance.
“We need to get the facts out and talk to people face to face rather than just sending out a mailing,” she said.
“If people don’t see what we have here, it’s hard for them to know what we need and why we need it.”
Despite the loss, Meissner was encouraged by the numbers.
“It was good news that more than 50 percent voted yes for on a tax measure, and 60 percent is not that far away,” she said.
If the turnout were unchanged, the measure would have passed if 400 people voted in favor instead of opposed, she said.
Ted Friedrich, campaign chairman and a former Chimacum School Board member, said the bond failed because “we didn’t get started early enough” and because of the taxpayers’ substantial share of the bond.
If approved, the measure would have imposed a new tax on property owners by $1.50 per $1,000 of assessed value, or $375 for a $250,000 home.
“This was a lot of money,” Friedrich said.
“People who own million-dollar houses would pay more than $1,000 per year in additional taxes, while people with fixed incomes couldn’t afford the extra $20,” he said.
Stewart said the schools will examine individual precinct results to determine how and why people voted and tailor the next measure accordingly.
The Jefferson County Auditor’s Office counted 3,997 ballots out of the 8,508 mailed to district voters for an election night turnout of 46.98 percent.
Meissner said the proposed construction of a sports facility — with an all-weather field, stadium, concessions, restrooms and storage as well as new tennis courts — became a topic of misinformation.
She said rumors circulated that the district had turned down a grant from the Nike athletics products company to construct the facility.
In fact, she said, the district did not apply for the grant because it is intended for larger schools where Nike can get more exposure.
“People asked why we were building an athletic facility, but they didn’t understand that it was an outdoor classroom that supports physical education,” she said.
After renovation, Chimacum Creek Primary School would serve first through fifth grades, with the middle school and high school in the Valley Road location.
Also planned was the removal of 1940s buildings and library, and construction of a new middle school library resource center and centralized school administration.
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Jefferson County Editor Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or cbermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
