TNT Ed Board Endorsement: Tacoma Public Schools bond and Puyallup Schools levy | Opinion

Local kids are on the ballot this month in two of Pierce County’s largest cities.

In Tacoma, the Feb. 13 special election will present voters with a chance to approve a $650 million Tacoma Public Schools bond measure, Proposition 1.

At the cost of roughly $7.53 more in taxes per month for the average Tacoma homeowner, TPS hopes to utilize the new revenue to fund major school renovations, essential upgrades and critical maintenance.

In Puyallup, voters will face what should be a very familiar question, in the form of their own Proposition 1. For the third time in two years, the Puyallup School District has a capital levy on the ballot.

In November 2022 and again in February 2022, Puyallup failed to muster the necessary 50% simple majority to pass a school levy, in each election falling just shy of that mark.

The six-year commitment in Puyallup would fund district basics like roofing and flooring, internet access, school safety improvements and pedestrian safety upgrades.

Approval of the Puyallup Schools levy would cost homeowners 87 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value. For the owner of a $500,000 home, that’s roughly $435 per year or $36.25 per month.

This year, both measures have The News Tribune Editorial Board’s strong endorsement. We hope voters feel similarly.

Homeowners in Tacoma would be foolish to turn a blind eye to local students in a diverse district that relies on every available dollar to provide the education, facilities and support services each young person depends on.

Meanwhile, Puyallup voters would be shortsighted to once again defer what amounts to the nonnegotiable at local schools. Buildings and pools won’t stop needing boilers to heat them. Kids won’t stop needing to get on the internet. Plumbing, functioning HVAC systems and fire alarms won’t suddenly become optional.

Of all the items on Tacoma Public Schools’ bond to-do list, The TNT Board is most excited about plans for a new centralized kitchen, providing TPS with the capability to store fresh food and prepare fresh meals every day for students across the expansive district.

Tacoma Schools serves nearly 30,000 children, according to OSPI data, nearly half reported as low-income, and all of whom are currently able to receive free breakfast and lunch.

According to Tacoma Public Schools Superintendent Josh Garcia, the district has lacked such a facility, resulting in a dependence on pre-packaged foods and the preservatives they require.

The district’s meals have met federal USDA standards, Garcia stressed, but the construction of a centralized kitchen — which would be built at a yet-to-be-determined site, according to district officials — would alleviate TPS’s reliance on meals like pizzas wrapped in plastic and mass-produced breakfast bars.

Garcia told The TNT Board a new centralized kitchen would allow the district to partner with local vendors of fresh food and produce, including fruits and vegetables grown at area schools.

Property tax implications

Undoubtedly, in a pinched economy, some Tacoma voters may be hesitant to let go of a larger slice of their family’s income.

Local property owners are already paying for several existing school bonds and levies, to the tune of roughly $4 per $1000 of assessed value this year, according to the Pierce County Assessor Treasurer’s office.

The cost of this year’s TPS bond proposition would come in addition to the existing taxes, although district estimates forecast a modest decrease in the overall tax rate over the next 30 years even if it passes, as previous bonds and levies expire.

In the view of The TNT Editorial Board, it’s a can’t-pass-up bargain, however you slice it and whatever the exact cost comes out to.

In addition to funding a new centralized kitchen, the TPS bond would pay to replace five aging neighborhood schools and major renovations and at three others, along with significant upgrades at the district’s central administration building and professional development center.

Tacoma voters have historically shown strong support for TPS schools at the ballot box, and this year’s effort should be no different.

For Puyallup voters, deciding how to vote on this year’s capital levy ask comes down to a matter of priorities.

Not every property owner has a child in Puyallup schools, but the benefit the district provides spreads community-wide. Considering the impact, the district’s estimate of $36.25 per month for the average homeowner if the capital levy passes is worth it — and then some.

As Puyallup’s population has grown over the decades, its public school facilities have failed to keep pace, according to district officials and supporters of the district levy.

At Puyallup High School, the library science building — which is home to chemistry classrooms, science labs and the school’s library — has fallen into such disrepair that it has been forced to close.

In 2023, the high school’s student newspaper, the Viking Vanguard, reported that sewage leaked into the building’s elevator shaft, creating what editor Ethan Barker described as “a disgusting smell.” We can only imagine.

Barker also reported that a sinkhole had recently opened up near the PHS library science building.

According to district estimates, it will cost upward of $4 million to fix the building and restore the PHS library science building to the standards Puyallup’s next generation deserves.

It’s just one of many investments Puyallup voters have shunned twice before, but this year should be different.

Puyallup has long been known for its quality public schools, helping to attract new residents and spur economic activity that benefits the city of more than 40,000 in its entirety.

If voters continue to favor short-term self-interest over the future of the city’s young people at the ballot box, that well-earned reputation will once again be cast in doubt.

Don’t let the Feb. 13 election pass you by.

Local schools — and the students and teachers who bring them to life — are depending on local support.

News Tribune election endorsements reflect the views of our Editorial Board and are written by opinion editor Matt Driscoll. Other board members are: Stephanie Pedersen, News Tribune president and editor; Jim Walton, community representative; Amanda Figueroa, community representative; and Kent Hojem, community representative. The Editorial Board operates independently from the newsroom and does not influence the work of news reporting and editing staffs. We do not endorse any candidates who do not interview with us. We do not endorse in uncontested races. For questions, email matt.driscoll@thenewstribune.com.

This story was originally published February 5, 2024 at 5:00 AM.