黑料福利社

Students thanked voters for supporting a Yakima school bond on Friday, as school officials talked about the next steps for $200 million in building improvement and replacement projects.聽

Election results were certified Friday with 60.99% voter approval. It needed 60% to pass.

The results show 4,638 voters supported the bond, while 2,966 voted no. Voter turnout was 20%.聽

The $200 million bond is the Yakima district's first bond in more than 15 years and the first to pass on the first try in about 30 years. Students waved signs on 40th Avenue and Tieton Drive near Eisenhower High School on Friday afternoon thanking voters.

"To be at that level of 61% at a time when bonds and levies are failing across our state, it speaks highly of a community that truly cares,"聽Superintendent Trevor Greene said in an interview Friday. "And shows that they care through actions."

The bond will fund replacement of Hoover and Garfield elementary schools and allow for other facility improvements across the district.聽

The bond will fund accessibility improvements, HVAC replacements, playground upgrades, roof repairs and replacements, and sidewalks and paving. The bond will also support turf replacement, track resurfacing and court repairs.

"For our community to step up in a way that they recognize the needs of our students, particularly on the east side of town, speaks well of voters across our system," Greene said.

The school district would split the upcoming bond into two sale dates, in fall 2026 and June 2028. The property tax impact is estimated to be $246 annually, or $20.50 per month, for a house valued at $311,600.

The district estimates the new bond would raise the school district property tax rate from $3.21 per $1,000 in 2026 to $4.01 per $1,000 in 2027, then drop to $3.84 per $1,000 in 2033. That number includes both the local instructional levy and bonds. The estimates assume a consistent local levy rate of $2.50 per $1,000 for operations. An older bond will expire in 2032.

"It's a start for hopefully a cadence that we can get on," Greene said. "Certainly not every couple of years, but hopefully not every 30 years or every 15 plus years."

Next steps

The next step for the Yakima School District will be to find an architect, then enter into a third-party contract for project management. The district doesn't have a capital projects department.聽

Once the architect and project manager are identified, the design phase begins. Yakima district officials will work with the city to obtain permits and make any necessary changes before construction, said Jake Kuper, assistant superintendent of finance.

The Hoover replacement is first. The district hopes to break ground for Hoover in spring 2027 and finish by 2028, which is when construction on Garfield will start. The bond's smaller projects will be carried out during that time.聽

Hoover is big enough to safely support students while construction is happening on a new building next door. During construction at Garfield, students temporarily will be sent to other schools that have capacity for them.

The goal is to keep the Garfield community together as much as possible, and district officials are discussing what will happen to students during construction.

The district will consider community and school input as officials move forward with playground, track and court improvements.