The Mercer Island School Board voted unanimously, 5-0, to place a $165 million bond measure on the ballot for April 2025. The bond, with a millage rate of $1.89 per $1,000 of assessed property value, aims to address key infrastructure projects across the district, including completing the 2014 project and building a new multi-use performance space for Islander Middle School.
The board voted Jan. 16.
Other projects include renovating parts of Mercer Island High School and Crest Center, such as the 200/300 wings, two corridors, a courtyard, locker rooms, and the front of the performance arts center, as well as updating the 28-year-old HVAC system and replacing the fire alarm. Funds will also go toward accessibility updates at the administration building, concept designs for three older elementary schools, and reimbursing the Capital/Technology Levy Fund for concept design work completed in 2024.
Board members emphasized the importance of community support to secure the resources needed to improve the facilities, with Director Jody Lee highlighting the importance of the board being “responsible stewards of our schools,” focusing on needs versus wants, and Director Dan Glowitz calling the proposal “reasonable” but noting that its financial impact “is best evaluated by the community at large.”
Community members Seth Landau, Tom Acker, and PTA Vice President of Advocacy Samantha Rubenfield shared varied perspectives, speaking both against and in favor of the bond
