The North Kitsap School District Board of Directors approved at its July 25 meeting a six-year, $31.9 million Facilities and Technology Capital Projects levy resolution which will be on the ballot for the Nov. 5 general election.
The levy would provide funding for safety and security improvements, infrastructure repairs, facility updates to support equity across the district, and technology education, per an NKSD news release. Approval of the levy would require a 50% plus one vote approval by voters living in district boundaries.
If passed, the levy collection rate would be $.74 per $1,000 of assessed valuation for 2025, $.82 for 2026, $.17 in 2027, 2028 and 2029, and $.18 in 2030.
The technology component of the levy will cover Chromebook and device replacements that will continue to support the district’s 1:1 initiative; educational software that provides students access to a wide range of digital resources and educational apps that cater to different learning styles and needs; and infrastructure improvements and replacement.
The breakdown of upgrades/improvements and the amount of funding that would be allocated to each school in the district is as follows:
Pearson Elementary (about $6.15 million): gymnasium addition – provides a separate, dedicated PE space for improved educational program scheduling. It will be planned and designed to allow for possible future school replacement on site; vehicle and school bus circulation and drop-off/pick-up improvements; and mechanical improvements to extend the useful life of the school building and ensure student and staff health and safety.
Suquamish Elementary (about $5 million): secure entry vestibule – provides controlled access to the school so that all visitors are directed into the front office and greeted by a staff member; classroom and student resource addition to support students with disabilities and occupational therapy, and renovations to bring all classrooms into the building; vehicle circulation and drop-off/pick-up improvements – includes increasing the parent vehicle queue; site accessibility improvements – includes accessible paths; site safety and security improvements – includes perimeter fencing improvements; exterior facility improvements (exterior painting and sealing as needed); and mechanical improvements to extend the useful life of the school building and ensure student and staff health and safety.
Kingston Middle School (about $2.85 million): Replace cinder track with rubberized track; vehicle circulation and drop-off/pick-up improvements; student-centered site improvements includes an improved and accessible student plaza/courtyard off of the commons; site safety and security improvements – includes improved perimeter fencing and cameras; and exterior facility improvements (exterior painting and sealing as needed).
Vinland Elementary (about $2.75 million): secure entry vestibule – provides controlled access to the school so that all visitors are directed into the front office and greeted by a staff member; vehicle circulation and drop-off/pick-up improvements; site accessibility improvements – includes ADA accessible paths; and site safety and security improvements – includes improved perimeter fencing.
Wolfle Elementary (about $1.9 million): secure entry vestibule – provides controlled access to the school so that all visitors are directed into the front office and greeted by a staff member; vehicle and school bus circulation and drop-off/pick-up improvements; site accessibility improvements – sidewalks, pathways; site safety and security improvements – including perimeter fencing and stormwater improvements; and exterior facility improvements (exterior painting and sealing as needed).
North Kitsap High School (about $1.8 million): site accessibility improvements; student-centered site improvements – includes improving the courtyard, landscaping, paths and sidewalks near the commons; exterior facility improvements (includes roofing improvements for 100 building); and mechanical improvements to extend the useful life of the school building and ensure student and staff health and safety.
Poulsbo Middle School (about $1.51 million): replace cinder track with rubberized track; site safety and security improvements – includes improved perimeter fencing; and site surfacing improvements – asphalt repairs and sealing.
Gordon Elementary (about $1.3 million): secure entry vestibule – provides controlled access to the school so that all visitors are directed into the front office and greeted by a staff member; site accessibility improvements – sidewalks, pathways; and new playground.
Kingston High School (about $1.1 million): improved stadium fencing and zoning; potable water at the baseball and fastpitch fields; vehicle circulation improvements – removing the utility building and providing additional parking; and site safety and security improvements.
Poulsbo Elementary ($606,000): secure entry vestibule – provides controlled access to the school so that all visitors are directed into the front office and greeted by a staff member; and site safety and security improvements – includes perimeter fencing improvements.
The Facilities Advisory Committee, composed of community members, parents, and school staff, has met regularly since April to study facility conditions and needs and offer both improvement and funding recommendations to the NKSD, per the release. As part of the process, the committee has analyzed facilities data, building conditions, and educational needs, and gathered input from students, families, citizens, and staff. The committee toured schools with the highest needs and held three community meetings to help inform their recommendations. Their work can be reviewed at nkschools.org/fac.
“The committee understands that the list of needs across our schools is much greater than can be accomplished with this levy, and will continue to work on the development of a long-term facilities plan to address continued and future needs through levies and bonds,” board documents read.
The levy proposal comes just months after the district’s $242 million bond proposal failed to pass garnering only 38% approval during the February special election. It needed 60% to pass. Board documents say the district is running a levy now because aging facilities and systems require improvements, upgrades and replacement and there’s a backlog of projects and needs that exceed current funding. Additionally, the current capital levy funding will drop drastically in 2025 and inflation is causing costs to continue to rise over time.
“Some of the comments were starting to hear is ‘the project list on the levy is different than it was on the bond,’” board president Mike Desmond said. “I would say yes it is, and to me, that’s a good thing. That means we heard the community from how they voted with the bond. We took the time to get new data and get new voices on it. I wouldn’t expect with new data and new voices to come up with the exact same project list.”
Desmond continued by saying: “It’s just a start. This is about a five-year plan. We have to make this investment to keep the current facilities running and operational. We have some really big capital needs coming up down the line.”
Following the board’s approval of the levy resolution, Stacie Schmechel spoke during public comments about the district’s lack of data regarding the projects in the levy.
“Where’s the data? Where are the reports to the board that show Gordon Elementary needs a playground in vestibule over the edition in the bond proposed just months ago? Where is the data that Wolfle only needs paint when months ago the majority of you told us that the school needed to be demolished? Now you tell us Pearson can be built on the same property,” she said.
