District news
Arlington Public Schools seeks applications from community members interested in writing statements for voters’ pamphlet
Arlington Public Schools is reposting the request for applications from community members who live within the boundaries of the district and are interested in providing the pro or con statements for the Snohomish County Local Voters’ Pamphlet. This is related to the district’s upcoming capital measure to replace Post Middle School.
Those interested should contact the superintendent’s office at 360-618-6202 or via email at [email protected] and provide their name, address, phone number and which position they represent by July 26, 2024.
The superintendent will confirm appointments on Monday, July 29, 2024.
2024-25 District Budget Draft
The 2024-25 DRAFT F195 Budget and DRAFT F195F Four-Year Budget Summary have been prepared and are available for public review. The DRAFTS were shared with the board during the July 8, 2024 regular board meeting and have been submitted to the Northwest Educational Service District for review. This is the first step in the budget process. Edits and adjustments will be made and the 2024-25 Budget will come to the board for a public hearing and consideration of adoption at the Aug. 12, 2024 regular board meeting.
2024-25 DRAFT F195 Budget
2025-25 DRAFT F195F Four-Year Budget Summary
Our Schools community newsletter transitioning from paper to electronic delivery
Arlington Public Schools has published the “Our Schools” community
newsletter for many years as a way to communicate information about what’s happening with the district and our schools to Arlington families, staff and community members. Our Schools is typically published four times a year.
As a cost savings measure, we are transitioning the Our Schools newsletter from a paper delivery to an electronic delivery. Existing families and staff will automatically receive the newsletter in their email inboxes.
If you are a community member and would like to sign up to receive the Our Schools community newsletter, please sign up at this link. The Summer 2024 Our Schools Community Newsletter is available here.
Please contact Gary Sabol at [email protected] or 360-618-6217 if you have any questions about this transition.
New student registration and August School Hours
Do you need to register your child for the 2024-25 school year? The new student registration packet is available at this link. Information for kindergarten registration is available at this link. If your child is already enrolled in our district and moving up to the next grade level, no action is required. You will hear from your child's school before the start of the 2024-25 school year.
Following the summer break, school offices will re-open on Monday, Aug. 19, 2024 at the following times:
Elementary Schools
8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Middle and High Schools (Including Stillaguamish Valley Learning Center)
8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
School board approves running Capital Levy in November election to replace Post Middle School
The Arlington Public Schools Board of Directors approved at its May 28
meeting a Capital Levy to replace Post Middle School and improve traffic flow onto the Post/Eagle Creek/Stillaguamish Valley Learning Center campus. Community members will vote on the Capital Levy during the Nov. 5, 2024 election.
“Even though a majority of Arlington voters have voted in favor of a Post Middle School bond five times during past elections, we have not been able to meet the 60 percent supermajority needed for bond passage,” said Brian Lewis, Executive Director of Operations. “Capital Levies only require a simple majority and have a much shorter duration compared to a bond – six years versus 20. Capital levies do not have interest costs like bonds, so it costs taxpayers less across the life of the levy. One drawback is that it takes longer to gather funds from a capital levy versus a bond, so the project would take longer to complete.”
The Post Middle School Bond provides for replacement of the obsolete and unsecure existing Post Middle School. The new school would correct the safety and security concerns of the existing Post Middle School. The new school would be earthquake resistant, have interior hallways for security, have larger classrooms to support Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (STEAM) education, and be protected from fire with a fire sprinkler system.
Additionally, the Washington State Legislature made changes to state funding for school construction in 2024 session. “Our State Construction Assistance Program funding for Post has increased from around $5 million for past elections to around $25 million,” said Lewis. “This means that we’re asking for a smaller amount for Post from the previous election.”
The project cost is $106,284,827, minus $25,125,606 for the Schools Construction Assistance Program funds the district would receive from the state. The cost to taxpayers to replace Post Middle School is $81,159,221. This is down from the $95 million ($100 million minus $5 million construction assistance funds) that was put before voters in the February 2024 election. More information about the Capital Levy proposition will be available soon.
| 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 |
The Washington LEA Academic and Student Well-being Recovery Plan has been posted!