If approved, the bond measure that will appear on the Feb. 14, 2017, ballot would:

  1. Improve and upgrade every school in the district.
  2. Qualify the district for state assistance funds.
  3. Take advantage of 40-year historic low interest rates, saving taxpayers money.
  4. Remove portables and add permanent classrooms to relieve overcrowding and support smaller class sizes.
  5. Replace seven aging schools: King, Marshall, Ogden, Truman and Walnut Grove elementary schools; McLoughlin Middle School; and Fir Grove/Vista. It also would relocate Lieser Campus to a remodeled Marshall school building.
  6. Partially remodel and/or enlarge Columbia River High School, Vancouver School of Arts and Academics and Sacajawea and Franklin elementary schools, and renovate Kiggins Bowl.
  7. Build two new elementary schools and a new, consolidated Vancouver iTech Preparatory.
  8. Construct safe, secure entrances at schools throughout the district.
  9. Upgrade roofs, flooring, windows and heating and cooling systems where needed.
  10. Add accessible surfaces for playgrounds.
  11. Modernize to support technology needs.
  12. Create spaces for family and community use.

Bond amount and tax rates

If approved, the proposed $458 million bond measure is projected to increase temporarily the bond tax rate by $0.09 per $1,000 of assessed property value for three years.

When combined with the existing bonds, the bond rate is projected to be $1.52 per $1,000 of assessed value for tax collection years 2018–2020 and then drop to $1.35 per $1,000 of assessed value starting in 2021.

For the owner of a median-priced $225,000 home, the change in the VPS bond tax rate is about $20 per year for three years.

The three-year operations levy, approved by voters in 2016, will cost $2.68 per $1,000 of assessed property value in 2018. The technology levy, approved by voters in 2013, will cost $0.23 per $1,000 of assessed property value in 2018. With approval of the bond, combined local school tax rates would be $4.43.

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