PD-17-00001 Marian Meadows Full Record with Index (2)

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their students. These opportunities include fly fishing and fly tying, cross-country and downhill skiing, archery, geocaching and rock climbing. We have low turnover of staff and students and our school is often referred to as an extended family. Many of our students start attending Easton School in their primary grades and continue until they graduate. We have close to 100% graduation rate because we are able to provide a personalized educational experience and recognize and support our struggling students. Our graduating class of 2017 had six students. Four of these seniors attended college full-time at Central Washington University as running start students and our graduating class of 2017 received over $30,000 of local scholarship funds. I am very proud of our students and staff and will always strive to protect the unique educational environment that we provide. Capital Costs The proposed Marian Meadows development will have a significant impact on the capital costs for Easton School District. The Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) states, "to accommodate students under the scenarios with a substantial expansion of the existing school would be needed, including acquisition of a substantial amount of land, or one or more new school sites and new school buildings would be required. To serve the projected maximum demand of 260 students, from 8 to 12 new classrooms would be needed, as well as specialty classrooms and support facilities including assembly gymnasia, and food service. This would be equivalent to doubling the size of the existing school" (pg. 134). While some districts are able to access state funds to help supplement capital expenses, the EIS states, "the existing school in Easton was expanded with no contribution from state funds because it did not meet the state -established need criteria based on the assessed value of the district (pg. 134). While the number of additional students who will attend Easton School if the proposed Marian Meadows development is unknown at this time, it is a reasonable assumption that it will result in a significant increase in student population that will require the district to incur significant capital costs. We are very limited in our ability to add to our existing structure because of a lack of availability of adjoining land and the costs of building a new school is substantial. Inadequacy of School Impact Fees The Environmental Impact Statement states that the school district may request the local jurisdiction to adopt school impact fees to pay up to 50 percent of school facility costs due to growth and refers to RCW 82.02.050. While there are provisions for potential impact fees, RCW 82.02.050 does not include language that would allow for up to 50 percent of the school facility costs to be paid by the local jurisdiction. Furthermore, the 2015 Legislature has enacted changes that enable developers to delay any impact fees until the time of. Final inspection, Issuance of the certificate of occupancy, or the closing of the first sale of the property. Impact fees do not account for the on-going capital expenses that are not covered and paid for by the local taxpayers in the form of bonds or the ongoing increase in expenditures that come with an increase in student population that are also paid for by local taxpayers in the form of a Maintenance and Operations levy. Small Schools Funding Formula Development that increases student population is more financially impactful to a small district than it is to a larger district. The Environmental Impact Statement includes the following comment. "If additional enrollment increases beyond the threshold under which the Easton 2