Things have changed since Shoreline Schools offered auto shop, business education, drafting and wood shop to high school students in the late 1950s. Among other things, Shoreline Schools' proposed February 7 bond issue would prepare our next generation of highly-skilled, productive tradespeople and professionals for careers by: renovating Shorecrest and Shorewood high schools' vocational/technical classrooms and equipment; and developing similar voc/tech facilities at Kellogg and Einstein middle schools.

SHORELINE – The Shoreline Public Schools board of directors in their Dec. 12 meeting approved a proposal for a $78.7 million replacement, maintenance and operations levy and another proposal for the sale of $149.5 million of general obligation bonds.

The levy, which replaces the four-year levy passed by voters in 2002, will provide the district with about 20 percent of its maintenance and operations needs. The bond will provide for technology, safety and renovation of school facilities.

The current combined levy and bond rate for Shoreline is $4.07 per $1,000 assessed valuation. If both proposals pass, the estimated new combined levy and bond rate would be $4.82 – about 75 cents more than the current rate. For the owner of a $300,000 home, this would amount to $225 in additional property taxes per year.

The levy and bond propositions will be placed on separate ballots in a Feb. 7, 2006, special election.

Proposition 2 – Bonds for Technology, Safety and Renovation of School Facilities

Over the past several months, the Bond Advisory Committee, district staff, board members, and other community members reviewed the need for a Capital Bond measure. Last month, the committee recommended that the board place a bond request on the ballot.

The board approved the following bond sales:
• 2006 – sell $49.5 million
• 2007 – no bond sales
• 2008 – sell $50 million
• 2010 – sell $50 million

Upon passage, the district would be authorized to sell up to $149.5 million in bonds. In order to keep tax rates stable, no bond sales are planned for 2007. The district would make annual payments on the principal and interest to bond purchasers through proceeds from annual property taxes.

To validate this levy and bond proposals, 40 percent of those voting in November must vote. Then, in order for the levy and bond proposals to pass, those voters must approve the proposals by 60 percent.

Shoreline high school biology students tackle sophisticated and rigorous experiments. These students are using gel electrophoresis to separate macromolecules according to size and electric charge. Gel electrophoresis is a key tool in molecular biology and plays an important role in genetics study.

"At a time when the U.S. is failing to produce the number of science and engineering graduates it needs not only for economic competitiveness, but also for homeland security... at a time when the science and technology industry is concerned about the lack of qualified workers to fill science and technology jobs... and at a time when the U.S. is faced with a dwindling number of foreign workers to fill those jobs... we still haven't made the full commitment to make science education a national priority."    Kindergarten-5th grade science education is important because "if we don't grab students and get them interested in science early on, they drop out of the science pipeline in middle and high school and we lose them." John Payne, president and general manager of Bayer HealthCare LLC - Animal Health Division, North America and Chairman of Bayer's MSMS program.

Local experts say:

"Experiences at the elementary school equip students with the vocabulary, lab skills and experience to tackle sophisticated high school labs such as the one pictured here." Kathy Ellingson, Shorecrest High School science department chair