Eastmont puts $125 million school bond before voters in November

EAST WENATCHEE — Eastmont School District voters will decide Nov. 3 whether to approve a $125 million bond to rebuild three elementary schools and address safety and maintenance needs elsewhere in the district.

Superintendent Spencer Taylor outlined the proposal Tuesday during an informational presentation to the Chelan Douglas Regional Port Authority. The bond would rebuild Kenroy, Lee and Cascade elementary schools, replace 15 portable classrooms with permanent space and fund priority projects at four other schools.

“This proposal is the result of a thoughtful community process focused on Eastmont's highest facility priorities,” Taylor said in an email after the meeting. “It represents a practical plan to provide safe, functional schools for students today while being responsible stewards of taxpayer resources for the future.”

The district estimates the bond would add 79 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value over 20 years. That would amount to about $395 annually, or $33 a month, for a property assessed at $500,000. Eastmont also expects approximately $25 million in state construction assistance for eligible work if voters approve the measure.

Taylor told port commissioners the three elementary schools have more than $20 million in needs simply to keep them operating. He described aging heating, plumbing and other building systems, along with exterior doors and walkways that complicate campus security. At Kenroy, he said, the kitchen can no longer be used to cook meals, which are prepared at Eastmont Junior High School and transported to the elementary school.

Nearly 40 community members spent about a year studying building conditions, enrollment, finances and facility use before making a consensus recommendation to the school board, Taylor said. The board voted in June to place the bond on the November ballot.

“The School Board decided on this bond proposal in response to a consensus recommendation by a representative community group who determined these needs are significant and the bond is the most financially responsible path forward,” Taylor said in his email.

The proposal follows two unsuccessful Eastmont bond elections in 2024. The second, in April of that year, received 59.04% approval, just below the 60% required for a school construction bond to pass.

Port commissioners did not vote on or endorse the measure Tuesday. Board leaders introduced Taylor’s presentation as informational, while commissioners discussed the importance of school facilities to attracting families and employers.

If the bond passes, the district says it would retain newer portions of the three elementary schools completed in 2021 while rebuilding the older sections. Students and staff would be moved to other district facilities during construction; those locations have not yet been determined.

Andrew Simpson: 509-433-7626 or andrew@ward.media