Board Hopefuls Highlighted in Newspaper Article

October 2001 - Four local residents are running on the November 6 ballot to fill two seats on the Renton School Board. The candidates are highlighted in an article in the Tuesday, October 23, 2001 edition of the South County Journal (on line at www.southcountyjournal.com).

In the Director District 5 position, Marcie Maxwell is challenging Stan Kawamoto, a current board member who was appointed to the seat two years ago. Lynn Desmarais (pronounced Dem-or-ay) and Mike Wright are looking to fill the Director District 3 position left open by a recent resignation.

Two issues may be on the February 5, 2002 ballot for Renton schools: A two-year Maintenance and Operations (M&O) replacement levy. The M&O levy, which the district must ask voters to renew every two years, replaces an expiring levy approved by voters in 2000. The M&O replacement levy, which makes up about 25 percent of the district’s budget, allows the district to continue paying for educational needs not funded by the state such as additional teachers to reduce student/teacher ratios, extra-curricular activities, special education, building maintenance, transportation, as well as paper and pencils.

The other issues on the ballot could be an estimated $150 million capital facilities bond to fund the final phase of the district’s 20 year plan to renovate, renew or rebuild all buildings in the district. Voters in the Renton School District have approved past bond measures to pay for the first two phases of the plan. Most of those building projects are complete or are currently underway. The construction projects planned for this final phase are currently being discussed by a group of district staff, parents and citizens. When that work is complete, the board could vote to place the measure on the ballot at their November board meeting.