Superintendent Update - Special Election

Dear UPSD Parents and Guardians:

It has been a busy week in University Place School District and the days ahead will be busy, too (Go Hawks!).  Before we close up shop for the weekend, I wanted to send one more reminder about the current special election in hopes that all UPSD parents will participate.

Please remember to vote and actively encourage others to do the same.  Ballots must be returned by Tuesday, February 10th at 8 PM. Earlier voting is better.

Return ballots to an official Pierce County Drop Box. The official drop box in U.P. is located on Drexler Dr. West in front of the fire station. If you use a post office, go to the counter and ask the clerk to postmark your ballot. This will ensure that your vote is counted.

I also want to clarify a few things about the three ballot measures in response to questions we've been getting from parents and citizens. More information is available in the recent Dialog and online.

• Prop 1 and 3 are replacement levies, not new taxes.  Renewal of these two levies is necessary to continue funding for current programs in the district. 
• Students at every school directly benefit from these levies.
• Prop 2 will fund school construction at CHS, Sunset and Chambers.  Revenue from Prop 2 may not be used for other purposes- only the projects specified in the resolution.  Because replacing schools is costly, Prop 2 is the sole reason for a tax increase. 
• The total tax increase for residents should all three propositions pass is $1.25/$1,000 of assessed value. This increase will fund construction of three new schools.  And, if Prop 2 passes, we will get an additional $60M from the state.
• Voter-approved school construction bonds are the only way to raise sufficient funds to build schools in our state.

Lastly, I want to acknowledge that we may have set a record for most "all-parent" emails in a single week.  I do apologize for that as we never want to flood your inbox.  We do, however, want to be sure you have accurate information you need about what is happening in the district. 

Thank you for your continued support and partnership. Have a great weekend. 

Jeff Chamberlin 
Superintendent