Ephrata schools slate $75M bond vote; Lego kids share skills

EPHRATA – The Ephrata School Board on Monday approved a resolution to place a $75 million, 25-year construction bond proposition before voters during a Feb. 10 special election.

If approved, the ballot measure is expected to qualify the school district for an additional $27.4 million in state funding. Together, the monies would pay for construction of two new schools to replace the decades-old Grant Elementary and Parkway Intermediate buildings, plus add classrooms, a secured entry vestibule and new front office, and new performing arts center at Ephrata High School.

The board’s resolution by members Jim Adams, Casey Devine, Josh Sainsbury, and Matthrew Truscott followed presentations by district superintendent Ken Murray on Monday and on Oct. 27 by representatives of a facilities study group which examined building conditions, enrollment trends, educational needs, and community input over the past two years.

“Our schools are the heart of Ephrata,” Murray said in a press statement. “This bond would secure the next 40 years of our community’s K-8 schools and set up Ephrata High School for the next phase of improvements. It would allow us to replace outdated buildings, strengthen safety and create learning environments that support students now and for decades to come.”

For passage, the bond measure will require at least 60% approval by voters, plus turnout “validation” by at least 40% of voters within the district who cast ballots in the last general election.

If enacted, property owners within the district would see an estimated tax increase of $1.07 per $1,000 of assessed property valuation beginning in 2027. For the owner of a $300,000 home, that’s about $33 a month or $400 per year. School officials say actual costs could be less if property values continue to grow at recent rates. Even with the new bond increase, overall school tax rates are expected to be lower than what property owners were paying up to 2018, after state legislators began capping school levy limits.

Tax exemptions may be available for low-income senior citizens and disabled adults through the the Grant County Assessor’s Office.    

On Monday, citing “lessons learned” during the recent modernization projects at Columbia Ridge Elementary and the Ephrata Middle School, Murray reiterated that new construction is now considered more cost-effective than trying to remodel Grant and Parkway schools. In addition to their reliance on portable classrooms, both are over a half-century old, have security and traffic management issues, and are located in a flood plain.

And building new schools avoids the headache of shuffling students into makeshift classrooms for months at a time while construction work continues under the same roof, said Murray.

As envisioned, the “new” Parkway and Grant schools will be two-story structures. Grant would be located adjacent to Columbia Ridge Elementary for an overall “campus” environment; Parkway would be sited on a portion of the playground/high school practice field just north of the existing Grant School. While still in the flood plain area, the new Parkway would be constructed on an elevated foundation as required by current building codes.

If voters okay the bond proposal, design work is scheduled to begin this coming spring. Construction would start in summer 2027 with occupancy expected in August 2028.

The “old” Grant and Parkway buildings would then be “decommissioned” — that is, no longer used to house students, a factor in seeking state matching funds for new construction.

Design work for the high school project would start in 2027, construction would begin in summer 2028 and wrap up in late summer 2029. While that project is more limited in scope, it would address the school’s immediate needs, officials said.

In a related move, the school board approved the appointment of retired teacher/librarian Kathleen Allstot, former longtime board member Bill Correll, and Ephrata native Rachel Hufman to write a statement supporting the bond proposal that will be included in a voters’ pamphlet to be mailed out in mid-January. No volunteers responded to the district’s notice to write an opposition statement. Grant County elections officials may similarly solicit an opposition statement for inclusion in the pamphlet.

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• Separately on Monday, the school board, district staff, and a large contingent of parents and family members enjoyed a special presentation by a special group of students from the three schools. Here’s a look: