Voters in the Bethel School District have apparently rejected its request for $236.7 million bond measure to build new schools and improve old ones and to build an aquatics center. In unofficial results from the election that ended Tuesday, the ballot measure had a 55.4 percent yes vote. A 60 percent supermajority is required for the proposition to pass. Updated results are scheduled for 5 p.m. Wednesday, but the trend so far appears to have the bond headed for defeat. Slightly less than one-quarter of the 58,939 registered voters in the district had cast ballots by the time voting was cut off. New construction or remodeling of 15 schools for more classroom space was proposed in an effort to keep up with expected increases of student enrollment districtwide. Also at stake was a proposal to build an aquatic center that would serve high school swim teams and as a community recreation site. Property owners in the district faced a tax bill of 74 cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation if the bond passed. For example, on a $200,000 home, that would add up to $148 a year ($12.23 per month). The bond would be for a 20-year period of annual property tax collections. It would generate $236-million plus as the local share of the cost for all the projects, which school district officials estimated at $318.6 million. The difference between bond revenue and the total cost would be made up by the $81.9 million the district anticipated receiving in matching funds from the state. According to the district and Bethel Citizens' Committee for School Support, the public group that worked on voter backing for the bond measure, Bethel is expected to gain 3,000 more students in the next 10 years. The district hoped to take advantage of currently favorable financing and construction costs to replace, renovate and repair older schools. In addition to making room for more pupils, the improvements would bring buildings up to safety and health standards by updating roofs, fire protection and security systems, technology and earthquake safety, officials said. Projects in the bond proposal included: " An expansion of classrooms, the cafeteria and the gymnasium at Graham-Kapowsin High School. " Modernization and partial replacement of Bethel High School, where some facilities date to the 1950s. " Replacing Challenger High School, currently a collection of 14 portable buildings, with a new building on the former site of Spanaway Elementary School. " Remodeling Cedarcrest Middle School. " Building a new elementary school next to Cedarcrest . " Updating Evergreen and Naches Trail elementary schools. " Building an indoor swimming pool next to Bethel High and a sports park behind Bethel Learning Center. The new facilities would be open to the community. " Replacing the grass fields at Graham-Kapowsin and Spanaway Lake High School with synthetic surfaces that would be better for year-round use. Bethel, with about 18,000 students, is the 16th-largest school district in Washington.
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