The Arlington School District Board of Directors is requesting voter approval of a six year, $81 million capital levy to build a replacement for Post Middle School. This levy helps ensure that students currently attending Eagle Creek Elementary and Kent Prairie Elementary have access to a middle school that offers similar levels of support as their current elementary school and Haller Middle School.
Why build a new school?
Post Middle School is past its usable lifetime. The district will continue working to ensure the school meets the basic needs of its students. However, if systems or components were to fail, it would result in a disruption of student learning across the district.
A new school would correct the safety, security, and access to modern education tools issues of the existing Post Middle School. A new school would:
- have interior hallways for improved security
- be more earthquake resistant than current building which has no steel frame; all other district schools were built with steel frames
- equipped with robust and efficient heating, ventilation, and air conditioning capabilities
- have larger classrooms to support Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (STEAM) education
- provide a safe running track and athletic field
- improve pedestrian, bus, and car traffic safety at all schools on the Post/Eagle Creek Elementary/Stillaguamish Valley Learning Center/APPLE campus, and
- be protected from fire with a fire suppression system; current Post Middle School building has no fire suppression system.
Post Capital Levy Details
- Duration: 6 years (2025-2030)
- Amount requested: Between $12.5 million and $14.5 million per year for each of the 6 year levy period. The estimated levy rate is $1.55 per thousand of assessed valuation.
- Voter approval required: levies are different from bonds. Levies require a 50%+1 voter approval. Bonds require a 60% voter approval.
- Location: a new Post Middle School would be built behind the existing school building. Design, permitting and construction would take approximately three years and complete in September 2030. When the new school is complete, students and staff would move to the new building, providing a seamless transition between old and new without disrupting their education.
The Post/Eagle Creek Elementary/Stillaguamish Valley Learning Center/APPLE campus serves 1,500 students daily. The redeveloped Post site would include a bus lane to separate car and bus traffic for all schools, providing a safer transportation and pedestrian network across the entire campus.
Why rebuild Post Middle School instead of renovating it?
It would cost the district $101,083,448 million dollars to renovate Post Middle School, but that would not address the safety issues with the exterior entry points. Renovating would mean working within the existing limitations of Post Middle School. Traffic safety issues addressed by the capital levy would also not be addressed by a renovation.
Does the State of Washington share the cost of a new school? If so, how much?
Arlington School District is eligible for $25,125,606 in state assistance for the replacement of Post Middle School. Washington State shares the cost of eligible school construction through its School Construction Assistance Program (SCAP), also referred to as State Match. Support is formula driven and based on the age of the existing school (when schools are rebuilt), and the number of “unhoused” students (students in excess of building capacity).
Does a capital levy to build a school cost less than a bond issue?
Yes, capital levies cost less than bonds because there is no interest costs associated with capital levies. All bond issues include additional interest costs. The lifetime costs of this capital levy is 60% of the bond proposed by the district for the Post rebuild in February 2024.
| Type |
Proposed Amount |
Estimated Monthly Cost for $500K Property |
Estimated Annual Cost for $500K Property |
Lifetime Cost for $500K Property |
| Six-Year Capital Levy |
$81,159,221 |
$65 |
$775 |
$4,650 |
| 20-Year Bond (February 2024 Proposed Bond) |
$95,000,000 |
$32 |
$385 |
$7,700 |
Property Tax Relief for Seniors, Disabled, and Disabled Veterans
Some property owners may be exempt from local schools property taxes. Those whose household incomes are less than $40,000, are over the age of 61, or are 100% disabled, or are disabled veterans may qualify. Contact the Snohomish County Assessor at 425-383-3422 for an application and more information.