FORKS — The Quillayute Valley School District will decide tonight whether to put a bond before voters in November.
The bond would be to complete phase two of replacing the aging high school, Superintendent Diana Reaume said.
Reaume and a committee of citizens which has been working on the issue will present two ballot proposals to the board at the meeting at 6 p.m. in the administrative board room, 411 S. Spartan Ave.
The two ballot measures up for review include one which would replace the old parts of the high school and another to build a new sports stadium.
The sports stadium measure could not be passed unless the high school bond passes.
The bond for the high school would total about $11 million, matched by about $7 million in state grants from the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.
“This is probably a once-in a lifetime opportunity,” Reaume said.
Because the law currently reads that the state matches funds based on a district’s entire enrollment, funds will be matched based on students who physically attend Forks’ schools as well as the online school the district hosts, Insight School of Washington.
The Insight School more than doubles the enrollment total.
“We have been told that this will likely change in the spring legislative session,” Reaume said.
“So that is one reason we decided to move forward with this.
“We can get $7 million right now, but once the wording changes, it will be more like $1.5 million — so we don’t want to pass up $5.5 million.
“There are options for exemptions for seniors that fall into different categories.
“But from our perspective this is truly an opportunity which we will not have again after this legislative session.”
