Planning M’ville school needs

MARYSVILLE – The Marysville School District knows many of its buildings are deteriorating.

That’s why it tried to pass a $60 million bond 14 months ago. Since that failed, the district is looking at options. Finance director Mike Sullivan talked about some of those at the school board meeting Monday. Superintendent Becky Berg said one of the reasons she heard why the bonds were defeated was the district didn’t take good enough care of the buildings it has.

“This is a road map to maintain them,” Sullivan said.

Overall, the plan says Grove Elementary and Marysville Getchell and Tulalip high schools are in excellent condition and only need preventive maintenance. Kellogg-Marsh is in good shape, and all the others are fair, except for Liberty, which is poor. Along with Liberty, Cascade and Marysville Middle should not have major maintenance done because they need to be replaced, the plan says. The Capital Facilities Plan includes short- and long-term needs. “We have many immediate needs,” Sullivan said.

A dog could tell you what many of those needs are: “Roof, roof.”

In the next year, roofs need to be replaced at Allen Creek Elementary, Totem and Cedarcrest middle schools and Marysville-Pilchuck High School.

Also at M-P, immediate needs are: lighting, flooring, ceiling, boiler, pool doors and demolition of the old cafeteria.

And, a fire system is needed at Shoultes, flooring at K-M and carpeting at Marshall elementary schools.

Total cost of all the needs is $5.3 million in the next year.

Cost of needs in two to three years is $3 million, including a roof at Pinewood.

Quil Ceda elementary will need a roof in four to five years. That and other needed projects would cost $1.3 million during that period.

Finally, projects needed in six to 10 years would cost $6.7 million.

The plan also lists properties owned by the district, which total $10.3 million in valuation. The plan recommends seven properties be sold and two others kept. Money brought in from sales would help with maintenance costs.

The plan also recommends when bonds could be run and for how much and which schools should be replaced. Using this method, school officials said taxes would remain relatively stable.

“It’s food for thought,” school board president Pete Lundberg said.

•Bond 1: $120 million, 2019, would replace Cascade, Liberty, MMS and Shoultes.

•Bond 2: $200 million, 2026, would replace Sunnyside, Pinewood, Totem and M-P.

•Bond 3: $100 million, 2032, would replace K-M, Marshall and Cedarcrest.

•Bond 4: $100 million, 2038, would replace Allen Creek, Quil Ceda and Tulalip campus.

•Bond 5: $125 million, 2046, would replace Grove, MG.