Horace Mannager - April 6, 2014

As you may be aware, the Lake Washington School District board of directors voted to put a bond measure on the April 22 ballot. The measure would provide funds to build three new elementary schools (two in Redmond and one in Kirkland) and a new middle school in Redmond. Juanita High School in Kirkland would be rebuilt to house a larger number of students and a 600-student STEM-focused high school would also be built on that campus. Lake Washington High School, which was designed before the district reconfigured from three grades in high school to four grades, would receive an addition.

This bond will add space to meet the needs of the district's fast-growing enrollment. Based on careful estimates, the district has projected 4,000 more students in the next eight years. The measure would provide the classroom space needed within the next four years to house these additional students.

This bond measure would raise $404 million to invest in building new schools needed to accommodate growth and to replace and expand existing schools, costing an additional 25 cents per thousand dollars of a home's assessed value. The increase for a home of average value ($500,000) in Lake Washington School District would be $125 per year, or $10.42 per month.

For more information on the measure, please go to the district website.

Five facts about funding new schools

1. Bonds are the primary source of funds for new schools in Washington.

The Office for the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), in its school construction manual, notes that the state can provide funding assistance, but a school district must first raise revenues to demonstrate local support for the proposed project. The most widely used source is proceeds from the sale of bonds.

2. Impact fees do not generate enough money to pay for new schools.

The formula used to establish school impact fees estimates the costs of housing students generated by each new single family or multi-family dwelling unit. That amount is then reduced by estimated future taxes that the new home's owner will pay over 10 years. The fee is also discounted for funds that might be received from state construction funding assistance.

The bottom line is that the district (in 2014) receives:

$6,302 in impact fees for a new single family house
$207 for each unit in a multi-family building

3. State construction assistance amounts are limited.

When the district is eligible for state construction assistance, the amount is limited. State construction assistance is equal to about eight percent of the total budget for the schools modernized thanks to the 2006 bond measure.

4.The Eligible Square Feet used in the state funding formula does not reflect how districts really build and use schools.

OSPI recognizes that the Student Space Allocation, or the amount of square feet per student in its funding formula, is inadequate for today's educational programs. OSPI has proposed that the legislature fund greater square foot allocations. This chart shows OSPI's most recent proposal, which was based on the average square feet per student in new schools built nationwide in 2011. The LWSD educational specification calls for square footage that is very similar to the OSPI proposal.

	Current state funding formula	Proposed new state funding formula	LWSD educational specification
K-6 elementary (K-5 in Lake Washington)	90 square feet per student	125 sf per student	126 sf per student
7-8 junior high (6-8 middle school in Lake Washington)	117 sf per student	155 sf per student	148 sf per student
9-12 high school	130 sf per student	165 sf per student	161 sf per student

5. The tax rate for new bonds is connected to when debt from past bonds is paid off.

Lake Washington School District manages buildings on 43 different sites with a replacement value of over $2 billion. The district manages the debt associated with these buildings.

Over the years, new debt is added as schools are built while older debt is gradually paid off. The debt is structured so that more of the debt service fund pays off old debt, with smaller amounts going to the new debt. Then, as old debt is paid off, larger amounts can go to the new debt. The chart below shows how the debt for this new set of bonds will be paid off.

If this bond measure passes, the increase to taxpayers will be 25 cents per thousand dollars of assessed value. The total cost of the proposed bond measure, in isolation, and irrespective of other debt service, is expected to result in a tax rate of $.61/$1000 of assessed value.

Horace Mann Calendar

Link to LWSD Tandem Calendar

Mon Apr 7 - Fri Apr 11: Spring Break NO SCHOOL

Tues Apr 15: Club Yearbook Photos, New Student Yearbook Photos

(non-professional), 5th Grade Class Photo

Wed Apr 16: 6:00 pm Noetic Math Contest -- Art & Science Room

Thurs Apr 17: 2:25 pm Knights of the Multiplication Ceremony

Thurs Apr 17: 6:30 pm PTSA Meeting

Fri Apr 18: Popcorn sales

Wed Apr 23: Author Visit for Grades 2-5

Thurs Apr 24: 5:30-7:00 pm International Night

Fri May 30: Art Night

Staff Appreciation Week

Thanks again to all the parents who helped make Staff Appreciation Week OUT OF THIS WORLD! Click here to see photos from the week.

UPDATE: After some final data entry this week, the grand total of donated prizes for our Supernova Surprise was just over $8,000! These businesses are the BEST IN THE UNIVERSE! If you happen to visit their place of business, please be sure to tell them "Thank you!" Pacific Northwest Float Trips, Bellevue Center for Health, Simply Clean, Myers Chiropractic, Linda Kahle Fine Art Imagery, Unique Dry Carpet Service, Bella Photography, Mantra Bands, Maid 2 Please, Flawless Beauty Bar, Clear Solutions, Snapshot Sandy, Cork & Click (Get Off Auto), Covington Cellars, Northwest Aesthetics, Redmond School of Glass, Murder Mystery Company, Jo Totes, Rivaage Salon, Cork & Canvases, Ambrosia Med Spa, eMeals, Erin Condren, Big Picture Classes, Laura Ashton Cellars, No More 'To Go', Brown Bear Car Wash, Pepper Bridge Winery, Entropy Trading Company, Expressions Bracelets, Staples, Costco, Better Life, Ben Franklin Crafts, Smug Mug, Vol25, Letter Girl, Nifty Swank, Home Studios, Swirling Scarves, Agave Restaurant, Eclisse Creazioni, Paper & Oats, Coho Cafe, Canyons Restaurant, Tasty Suite.

Don't forget to take advantage of the special offers provided by our wonderful donors!

Home Studios - 10% off your purchase. Use coupon code: USAVE10.

Expressions Bracelets - 25% off your purchase. Use coupon code: MANN25.

Letter Girl - Free shipping. Use coupon code: horacemann. (Ends 6/15/14)

Paper and Oats - 20% off your purchase. Use coupon code: SupernovaSurprise. (Ends 5/31/14)

Eclisse Creazioni - 20% off anything in the shop. Use coupon code: 3MOM11.

Three Monkey's Cakery - 10% off your purchase. Use coupon code MANN14.

MantraBand Bracelets - 10% off your purchase. Use coupon code MANN.

eMeals - 15% off your subscription. Use coupon code MEALS15. (Ends 5/31/14)

Rivaage - $50 Facials with microdermabrasion

PTSA Nominating Committee

Do your kids use IXL? Did they enjoy the dance? Do they like the after school classes? Do you think Horace Mann is a great school?

If you answered yes to any of these questions then please consider volunteering for the Horace Mann PTSA for the 2014-15 school year so that we can keep these programs going. Many of our current board members have served their term limit so we are seeking new parents who would like to take an active role in leading the PTSA. This is a great way to support your child's education and get to know other parents at the school. Click here for the nomination form.

Yearbook Help

The help we need has nothing to do with photos or creativity so all you parents who like to volunteer by helping with tasks and things behind the scenes....these are the volunteer positions for YOU!

www.SignUpGenius.com/go/9040A4AA5A82D6-yearbook

Questions? Email Yearbook@horacemannptsa.org

Parent Input Forms are now Available in the Main Office

This is your opportunity to give the staff at Horace Mann your input regarding your child's class placement for next school year. Since planning begins in May, April is the only month we are accepting parental input.

Elementary Future Chefs Competition

Recipe entries due by Wednesday, April 17

Competition: Wednesday, May 7

2:00-6:00 pm

Rose Hill Middle School

Elementary Future Chefs Competition

Spring Noetic Learning Math Contest

The Spring NLMC contest is coming up in April and available for grades 2 to 5. The goal of the competition is to encourage young students' interest in math, to develop their problem solving skills, and to inspire them to excel in math. During the contest, students are given 45 minutes to solve 20 problems. Many problems are designed to challenge students and to enrich their problem solving experiences.

What: Spring Noetic Learning Math Contest

When: April 16 (Wednesday) at 6 p.m.

Where: Horace Mann Elementary

Registration: Click here to register and print permission form

Fee: $10 per student

Contest is provided by NLMC and sponsored and hosted by Horace Mann Elementary PTSA. Spaces are limited, so register early!

Awards: Students that make National Honor Roll will receive a medal given out at the end of year Awards Assembly.

Horace Mann International Night & Pot Luck 2014

One Family, Many Cultures

Thursday, April 24th, 5:30-7:00 pm

We hope that all our families are able to attend International Night to enjoy an evening of food and celebration. Mark your calendars!

Thank you to the families who are helping with the event. We have had a great response and are excited about the evening.

We still need help in two areas. We need volunteers to help with set-up, check-in, clean-up, and supervising the pod areas.

We also need more families to bring food for the Pot Luck. It does not have to be a dish associated with a specific culture; if you have a favorite family dish, please consider bringing it to the event.

We have created a SignUp Genius to make the process easy for everyone. If you are able to volunteer on the evening of the event or provide food for the pot luck, please sign up (if you have already turned in a form indicating that you will bring food, you do not need to sign up again).

http://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0E49AAAC2AAA8-international2

Thanks for all your support! We could not have the event without your help.

We look forward to seeing everyone on April 24th. If you have any questions, please contact Lucy Davies, Sherry Ernst, Trish Trotter, or Colette Weber.

Horace Mann Math Challenge

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All students are invited to participate. Pick up paper form in the school office or print online at: http://www.mathinaction.org/Pages/MannMC.aspx or see schedule (check updated schedule): http://www.mathinaction.org/Documents/MC%20SCHEDULE%202013-2014.pdf
Winners are randomly chosen from submissions.
Turn in at school office, Math Challenge Box.

Math Challenge #12 is available and is due 4/17 by 3pm.