Ephrata School District voters to decide fate of $75 million construction bond

EPHRATA — Ephrata School District patrons will be asked to accept or reject a $75 million construction bond proposal in the Feb. 10 special election. The district would use the money to pay for upgrades at Ephrata High School and replace Parkway Intermediate and Grant Elementary schools. Ephrata does qualify for state school construction money for all three projects.  

Because it’s a construction bond, the proposal will require a yes vote from 60% of the voters to pass. Ephrata Superintendent Ken Murray said in an earlier interview that the three buildings are inadequate to house the existing student population. 

“We have a large portion of our students in portable are alternative spaces that traditionally are not used as classroom spaces,” Murray said.  

If approved, the bond has a 25-year payback provision.  

If the bond is approved, property owners will pay $1.61 per $1,000 of assessed property value in 2027, according to information from the district. The bond rate would increase to an estimated $2.24 in 2025. District officials estimated the combined rate for all ESD levies would be about $3.59 in 2027 and about $4.66 from 2028 through 2040. 

If it’s approved, the bond would pay for new classrooms and a new main office at Ephrata High School, as well as add a new performing arts center. The district qualifies for state construction money for EHS due to its age – the bond would generate $14.5 million for EHS, with about $6.9 million in state school construction funds. 

Parkway Intermediate School would be moved to a site near Ephrata High School. Parkway also qualifies for state construction funds. The bond would generate about $26.5 million, and the district would be eligible for about $8.7 million in state funding.  

District officials plan to move Grant Elementary to a site across the street from Columbia Ridge Elementary. Grant Elementary is old enough that it also qualifies for state construction funds. District officials estimated that about $34 million of the project cost would be paid for through the construction bond, with about $11.8 million in state funding. 

Grant Elementary and the EHS performing arts center were included in a construction bond approved by district voters in 2019. But they were deferred due to substantial increases in construction costs. District officials said if the bond is approved, they will change the construction planning process and add a construction management firm. They’re also looking to increase transparency. 

Ballots must be returned by Feb. 10, if they’re left in the drop box, or postmarked by Feb. 10 if they’re mailed. The Grant County Auditor’s Office is recommending that people mail ballots about seven days in advance to ensure they’re postmarked by Election Day. People can leave their ballots in the dropbox in the parking lot at the Grant County Courthouse, 35 C St. NW, or take them to the elections office in the courthouse, Room 203, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.