Voters in Hockinson and Washougal have until Tuesday to cast ballots in a special election regarding school bonds to construct and improve facilities.
Ballots must be postmarked no later than election day or returned to a drop site location by 8 p.m. Tuesday. As of Monday morning, 5,205 ballots had been returned. There are 16,485 total eligible voters in the two school districts.
The Hockinson School District proposal is to reconstruct Hockinson Middle School; add to or improve high school athletic fields, seating, restrooms and music and wrestling rooms; and develop plans to address safety/security and traffic circulation at Hockinson Heights Elementary School. The district would issue no more than $39.9 million of general obligation bonds maturing within 20 years and levy annual excess property taxes to repay the bonds.
The estimated tax rate for the first year is $2.74 per $1,000 of assessed property value, or $685 for the owner of a $250,000 property. The school district notes that rate is only 3 cents higher than the current bond which was used to build Hockinson High School, which is being paid off this year.