Bonds could pay for two new Moses Lake schools

District decides Thursday if bonds go to voters

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake School District is deciding Thursday whether to take a $33.8 million bond to voters for two elementary schools and facility upgrades.

The new elementary schools would be the first schools built since the late 1950s, Special Assistant to the Superintendent P.J. De Benedetti said.

The meeting is Thursday at 7 p.m. at the board room at 1318 West Ivy Ave. in Moses Lake.

Improvements being considered in addition to the elementary schools are technology upgrades, additional special education space, safety improvements, a new gym at Chief Moses Middle School and upgrades to Lions Field.

The estimated collection rate is going to be presented Thursday night. The tax rate for the current maintenance and operations levy and bond is $4.78 per $1,000 assessed value.

On Monday the Moses Lake School Board worked out the final details of the bond, including a discussion of whether to add synthetic turf at Lions Field to its list of improvements.

Moses Lake High School Athletic Director Loren Sandhop said the district is considering two brands of artificial turf. ProGrass brand turf is made from recycled tires, while Field Turf brand is made from a blend of recycled shoes, tires and sand. The formerly popular AstroTurf acted the same as concrete to a falling athlete, Sandhop said. ProGrass and Field Turf act like grass.

"When your head falls, you don't get the whiplash like you would with concrete," he said.

The district estimated the average cost of maintaining the current grass field is $35,000 per year, while the manufacturer's estimate of maintaining a synthetic turf field is $5,000 per year.

Board member Vicki Groff said she believed the district's savings in maintenance would make the artificial turf worth the price.

"I think you would get that money back many times over in field turf," Groff said.

Board members discussed whether to include a field house at Chief Moses Middle School with two tennis courts and two basketball courts but decided against it after learning it would cost $3.27 million to build. They looked into expanding Moses Lake High School's gym and later decided against it.

District Superintendent Steve Chestnut noted the two middle schools have pretty comparable facilities.

"If we add a gym at Chief Mo, I just think it would tip the scales a little further," Chestnut said.

Board member Randy Bruce said the price of the field house was too high for a middle school. Bruce said if such a facility were to be constructed, he would prefer to see it at the high school.

De Benedetti said the district's interview team planned to interview six design firm candidates from the Pacific Northwest today.