Bond Advisory Committee Questions and Answers

The district recognizes that the $800 million bond will not fully cover all the projects identified by the 2021 Citizen’s Facility Advisory Committee (CFAC). This makes it necessary to prioritize the most urgent needs to ensure the greatest benefit to students and the community. While some projects will remain unfunded in this bond cycle, the district is committed to long-term planning. We will continue to explore alternative funding sources, such as state grants and partnerships, to help address those unmet needs over time. 

Running the bond now is critical as it aligns with the district’s strategic plan and community expectations for maintaining and improving our facilities. By passing the bond in this election, we can maintain the voter-approved $4.14 tax rate established in 2024. Delaying the bond could result in higher tax rates later, as the district would still need to pay off previous bonds on time. 

To reach a broader audience, especially those who may not regularly engage with traditional outlets, the district uses a multi-channel communication strategy. In addition to the Connections print newsletter, we send weekly digital newsletters, direct school and district communications, and updates via Peachjar. We also engage the community through community tours, print mailers, social media platforms like Foundations for Our Future, which focuses on school construction and planning. Furthermore, our team regularly presents at PTA meetings and community events to provide updates and answer questions. PTAs and community groups can request district representatives to share information by contacting us at communications@puyallupsd.org. Importantly, all district communications adhere to Washington State Public Disclosure requirements, sharing only educational and factual information. 

The $4.14 tax rate is considered a reasonable ceiling, based on previous voter feedback and careful district analysis. If the bond does not pass, there are contingency plans in place, including potentially running the bond again later in the same year or aligning it with the Educational Programs and Operations (EP&O) levy in February 2026. However, any bond proposed after February 2025 would need to be advertised as a tax rate increase since previous bond debt will have been paid off. Although it may be framed as a tax rate increase, the goal remains to keep the tax rate within the $4.14 range for the next 21 years, ensuring a stable and responsible financial plan for the district. If the bond fails, the district will reassess community feedback to refine the proposal while continuing to prioritize critical needs. 

We agree entirely that showcasing the wonderful things happening in our schools can inspire pride and positivity throughout the community. While we cannot run a feel-good campaign aimed explicitly at influencing votes, we actively highlight student achievements, teacher dedication, and our schools' positive impacts on Puyallup families. Through platforms like the district’s newsletters, websites, social networks, and Foundations for Our Future social networks, we regularly share these success stories. We also encourage community members to spread their own positive experiences and stories on social media, helping create a ripple effect of support. 

As a public school district, we are required to follow Washington State Public Disclosure Commission (PDC) regulations, which limit our ability to advocate for a bond or levy directly. Our communications must remain neutral, providing only factual and educational information about school projects and district needs. These rules ensure that public funds are used responsibly and in full compliance with state laws. 

Once the bond is approved and funded by voters, a design review committee will be formed. This committee, composed of district staff, community members, and experts, will review architectural drawings and ensure that new schools are designed to meet the educational specifications (edspecs) required by the state. The process will be transparent and collaborative, providing regular updates to the community. Making the process tangible for voters involves showing how these designs will impact learning environments, sharing visual mockups, and hosting public meetings to give the community a voice in the design of their schools. 

If homes are built within the Orting School District boundaries, property taxes for bonds will go to the Orting School District, regardless of whether the area is associated with Puyallup in other ways (mailing address or general area identification). This includes neighborhoods like Tahoma Lookout, Sunrise Heights, Uplands PDD, and Uplands Exclave North and South. The determining factor for which district receives the taxes is the school district boundary, not the general geographic area.

In Washington State, when a student transfers between school districts, the funding typically follows them to the new district. This ensures that resources are allocated to the district providing education.

The Puyallup School District allows students living outside its boundaries to apply for a waiver to attend school there. New families must complete a Non-Resident Application and an annual online Choice Transfer Request. Parents or guardians are responsible for transportation, as out-of-district students cannot use district bus services.

For more information on school funding, visit OSPI’s website at OSPI School Funding. For details on Puyallup's out-of-district waivers, visit Puyallup School District Out-of-District Waivers.

Definitions:

• Resident School District: The district where the student lives.
• Nonresident School District: Any district outside the student’s resident district

Yes, every Patron Tour will include a visit to one of the high schools (Emerald Ridge, Rogers, or Puyallup), all of which are under consideration for inclusion in the Bond Advisory Committee's recommendations. On November 5th, community members will tour Waller Road Elementary, and on January 7th, patrons are scheduled to visit North Hill, a key area of growth in our community. These tours are designed to give a firsthand look at the schools.

Join us for a Patron Tour

When building a new school, both interior and exterior considerations play crucial roles in ensuring the facility is safe, functional, and adaptable to the needs of students, staff, and the community. Here's an overview of key factors:

Exterior Considerations:

• Parking for Staff & Visitors: Ample parking is provided for staff and visitors, with specific areas allocated based on anticipated capacity and future growth. Schools will also begin incorporating electric vehicle charging stations per state requirements.
• Parent Pick-up/Drop-off Area: A designated, secure area is designed for parent pick-up and drop-off, separated from bus lanes to minimize congestion and maximize student safety.
• Bus Access: Separate bus lanes are carefully planned to streamline the loading and unloading process, ensuring buses can enter and exit efficiently without interfering with other traffic. This ensures safe and timely transportation for students.
• Playgrounds & Outdoor Spaces: For elementary schools, playgrounds and outdoor recreation areas are crucial. These spaces need to be safe, durable, and accessible for all students. High schools may incorporate athletic fields, tracks, and sports courts.
• Landscaping & Environmental Design: Sustainable landscaping is often considered, along with stormwater management to prevent flooding. Some schools integrate rain gardens, green spaces and outdoor learning environments into the design.
• Traffic Flow & Safety: The layout of roads, sidewalks, and pedestrian crosswalks is carefully planned to ensure smooth traffic flow and the safety of students, staff, and visitors, particularly during busy arrival and dismissal times.
• Zoning & Compliance: Zoning laws, environmental assessments, and land use regulations must be followed, ensuring the site meets local ordinances, including noise, pollution control, and accessibility standards.

Interior Considerations:

• Classroom Design & Layout: Classrooms are designed with flexibility in mind, allowing for various teaching styles and future technological upgrades. Natural light, acoustic control, and energy efficiency are also key factors in modern classrooms.
• Specialized Spaces: The inclusion of specialized spaces like science labs, art rooms, Career and Technical Education (CTE) facilities, and libraries is essential for a well-rounded curriculum. These areas are tailored to the specific programs the school offers.
• Common Areas:
  • Cafeteria: The cafeteria needs sufficient seating for students and staff and an efficient food service design, with easy access to outdoor spaces when the weather permits.
  • Gymnasiums & Auditoriums: Multi-use spaces like gyms and auditoriums must accommodate both daily activities and community events, with considerations for sound, lighting, and seating arrangements.
• Technology Infrastructure: Schools must be equipped with robust internet and network access to support digital learning, security systems, and administrative tasks. This includes planning for electrical outlets, projectors, smartboards, and other tech needs.
• Security: Interior design also includes comprehensive security features, such as controlled entry points, surveillance systems, and safety zones in case of emergencies. The layout should also facilitate easy evacuation routes.
• HVAC and Environmental Controls: Modern schools focus on energy-efficient heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems to ensure comfort for students and staff, while minimizing operational costs and environmental impact.
• Accessibility & Inclusivity: Schools are designed to be fully ADA-compliant, ensuring that all facilities, including restrooms, classrooms, and entrances, are accessible to students and staff with disabilities.
• Flexible and Future-Proof Design: Interior spaces are often built with flexibility in mind, allowing for reconfiguration of spaces as needs evolve. This includes modular furniture, movable walls, and adaptable common areas that can serve multiple purposes.

Both the exterior and interior design processes are guided by district policies, state, city and county building codes, and the vision for how the school will function as a learning environment and community hub for years to come.

No; however, the district does have a history of examining grade level configurations such as K-5, 6-8, and 9-12. Currently, the district is not in position to move forward with a district-wide grade level reconfiguration.

Even if a building's condition deteriorates more rapidly than expected, such as Emerald Ridge being rated in "fair" condition but still seven (7) years away from the 30-year state matching funds eligibility, we are not eligible for early funding. The state requires buildings to meet the 30-year age threshold before providing matching funds for major renovations or replacements, regardless of the building's current condition. This means that even if the facility requires significant improvements sooner, we must wait until the 30-year mark to receive state support.

Shaw Road Elementary's enrollment for 2024 is currently at 642 students, with projections estimating it could reach 655 in the coming years. The attendance boundary at Shaw Road Elementary was adjusted in 2019-20 to incorporate areas previously assigned to Spinning Elementary after the school’s classroom building addition opened in 2017-18.  Maintaining a slight capacity buffer at Shaw Road is appropriate given the number of new residential construction projects planned in the area.  The district uses student generation rates to estimate the number of new students from residential development. It is possible that these projects could yield more students than anticipated depending on a host of factors, including marketing of the project and the proximity of the development to PSD schools.   

Furthermore, there is currently not enough capacity at Shaw Road Elementary to compensate for the overcrowding, both existing and projected, at Spinning, Meeker and Stewart Elementary.   

The district’s School Capacity and Utilization Task Force will continue to monitor the available capacity and enrollment during the 2024-25 school year and beyond.

In February 2024, voters approved a $175 million Capital Levy, which means they agreed to pay a certain amount of money over six years to help fund important projects in our schools. The Bond Advisory Committee (BAC) is considering a plan to refinance part of that levy into a bond package. This approach allows a combination of levy dollars with new bonds, generating the funds needed for life cycle improvement projects.  

When we talk about payments in this scenario, we can consider two payments or one payment.  

One Payment Scenario: If we only used the Capital Levy money without refinancing it, we would wait longer to have the total funds available for all the projects, six years in this case. This would mean we could only start projects after receiving installments collected yearly in April and October over six years. For example, with an $800 million bond and a $130 million levy roll-back, the remaining $670 million would be used for new construction. If we choose not to refinance the levy debt, and proposed a standalone bond, this would increase the tax rate and add to the existing levy debt until we paid back the levy money. Currently, we are a couple years behind on life cycle improvement projects. Having the opportunity to complete the 906 projects approved by voters sooner would benefit our community, staff, and students.  

In the projected refinancing plan, the district can combine bond and levy funds, making the money available sooner, while maintaining the tax rate without an increase.  

Here is how it works:  

• We would collect $44M of levy funding to begin improvements.  

• If a bond is approved, we will roll the subsequent years into it, paying it back over 21 years instead of six. This would give the district immediate access to $670 million needed for new construction and $130 million for levy life cycle improvement projects instead of waiting several years for the levy money to trickle in.  

Even though we would be rolling back the levy dollars, that does not mean the projects go away. The district is committed to completing all 906 life cycle improvement projects voters approved in February 2024. Whether we have one payment or two, those projects will still happen.  

Refinancing the Capital Levy into the bond package enables us to start projects sooner. It allows for payment in two steps rather than waiting for one large payment later. This approach ensures that our schools receive the necessary upgrades without delay. 

This would increase the tax rate from $4.14 per $1,000 of assessed value by .85 Cents bringing the total up to $4.99 per $1000 of assessed value starting 2025 –2030. The capital levy would drop- off year 2031 lowering the tax rate

 4-8 years as the projects must be 90% complete.

Unfortunately, we cannot. All project costs must be covered upfront. The projects must reach 90% completion before collection of state match funds is allowed to begin.

Yes, we could focus on classroom space and recommend that a future bond oversite committee use the potential state match funds to address the athletic auxiliary gyms, commons expansions and two additional tennis courts as an example.

No. Pools are not outlined as a required facility in the district’s Education Specifications.