SEQUIM — Sequim School Board members will decide tonight just when they’ll test the Scottish adage, “Third time’s lucky.”
Two previous attempts to pass a construction bond were not.
Citizens for Sequim Schools have called for supporters to “pack the boardroom” to urge school directors to put the bonds on the Nov. 3 ballot. The meeting will start at 6 p.m. at 503 N. Sequim Ave.
Board members already have agreed to seek the $49.3 million bond issue.
Tonight they’ll consider a resolution to place the measure on the Nov. 3 general election ballot.
Only four members will decide the question because John Bridge will be out of town.
“We need this resolution passed by the board on Monday to move forward,” Citizens for Sequim Schools member Colleen Robinson wrote in a Facebook posting.
If placed on the ballot and approved — which takes a 60 percent supermajority — the bond money would go toward building a new elementary school, renovating and expanding four existing facilities, and demolishing a fifth one.
Should voters reject the resolution, board members have said that their alternative is to schedule a special election for Feb. 9, 2016 at a future meeting.
Board members must make up their minds by Tuesday, the deadline to put an issue on the November ballot.
Each alternative has its appeal.
A November vote would save the district about $40,000, according to board member Walt Johnson, because the cost of the election would be spread among all the sponsors of ballot issues.
It’s likely, Johnson said, that Sequim would go it alone if it chose to wait until next February.
Furthermore, delaying construction contracts until next winter could run into competition from an expected Seattle-area building boom.
However, he said, statewide statistics give an edge for success to special elections.
Moreover, at least two — maybe three — present board members won’t be around come February.
Johnson will retire at he end of this year to be replaced by voters’ choice among candidates Heather Short, William Payne and Charles Meyer, two of whom will advance from Tuesday’s primary ballot to the general election.
Board member John Bridge likewise will retire, to be replaced by either Jim Stoffer or Charla Wright. And incumbent board member Heather Jeffers faces opposition from Robin Henrikson.
“There are two of us who are lame ducks and a third who is on the ballot who might not get re-elected,” Johnson said.
“So we may have half of the school board voting on this on Monday who won’t be on the board when they have to face the consequences.
“There could be some advantage to having the new board members make this decision.”
Although he won’t be at tonight’s meeting, Bridge said he’d favor the Nov. 3 election.
“I personally think we’ve had two spring votes. I think now what we need is for a few more people to come out and vote [in the general election].”
Those earlier efforts met with mixed success.
Voters defeated a $154 million measure by a 56-44 percent margin in April 2014.
A $49.2 million bond last February received 6,691 yes votes to 5,026 no votes — 57.11 percent to 42.89 percent — but fell short of the required 60 percent supermajority.
A measure similar to that will go on the ballot, be it November’s or February’s, board members have decided.
However, because of changes in the real estate market, the levy would raise $35,000 more money than the previous measure would have produced, but at a tax rate 3 cents less per $1,000 of assessed fair-market value.
If approved, the bond would renovate and expand Greywolf Elementary; build a new school to replace Hellen Haller Elementary; renovate Hellen Haller to house fifth-graders; renovate and expand Sequim High School; demolish the Sequim Community School building; and upgrade the district kitchen and maintenance facility.
The bond would fund a new science wing of six laboratory classrooms at Sequim High; and add band, orchestra and choir rooms to the performing arts wing.
Music students now must cross the street to attend classes in the former Sequim Community School.
As it heads into a new school year, Helen Haller will house all-day kindergarten classes in four portable classrooms.
The district kitchen will prepare meals for 1,800 students daily with 1970s equipment for which replacement parts no longer are available, district officials said.
Sequim High will serve 100 students above its designed capacity, and Greywolf will add a fourth portable unit to house its library and computer labs that once occupied space in its main building.
As for that Scottish adage, some trace it to John Lee, who was convicted of murder in 1885 but survived three attempts in one day to hang him, had his death sentence commuted, and later was freed after 22 year in prison.
Lee lived another 60 years after his scheduled execution. Originally an international celebrity, he died in obscurity.
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Reporter James Casey can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5074, or at jcasey@peninsuladailynews.com.
