November 9, 2011 Locally owned Founded 1992 50 cents
State budget cuts would hit school districts hard By Caleb Heeringa
Recent budget cuts suggested by Gov. Christine Gregoire could mean more students and less pay for Lake Washington School District teachers. On Oct. 27, Gregoire revealed a list of potential cuts to education funding she’s considering as the state grapples with an estimated $2 billion shortfall in next year’s budget. The announcement was the opening salvo in budget negotiations before Gregoire officially presents her budget Nov. 21 and the legislature meets for a special session after Thanksgiving. Karina Shagren, a spokeswoman for Gregoire, said the governor was attempt-
ing to show the public Kathryn Reith said the “We’re running out of and legislators what an largest of Gregoire’s sugall-cuts budget would ways to conjure up extra gested cuts include $3.4 look like and is currentmillion that goes money.” ly mulling over ways to towards class sizes in increase revenue, grades 4 through 12 for – Kathryn Reith, the Lake Washington including eliminating Lake Washington School tax breaks for businesses district. The school District spokeswoman – or bringing a tax packboard would be forced to find that money elseage to voters. “There’s this impression out there that where – a tall task after already nearly the governor has somehow given up on maxing out their local taxing authority earraising revenue,” Shagren said. “She’s lier this year – or see two more students in doing what she said she’d do – produce an every class in fourth grade and above startall-cuts budget and then start looking at ing next fall. revenue options.” “We’re running out of ways to conjure Lake Washington spokeswoman up extra money,” Reith said.
City Council may donate Lamb House to use for affordable housing
For now, for the Issaquah School District, the biggest hit contained in the proposed budget could increase class sizes by two students, according to Jake Kuper, the district’s chief of finance and operations. Kuper said the move to increase class sizes would cost Issaquah schools roughly $2.5 million. But Kuper also noted that even if the state slices those funds, that doesn’t necessarily mean the district would move to increase the ratio of students to teachers. Obviously, though, cuts would need to be made somewhere.
Teen Center opens
Teen center’s new driveway to cost a bit more
By Caleb Heeringa
constructed a proper Maintenance and Operations Sammamish will consider Center on 244th Avenue earlier donating a piece of property for this year. use as an affordable housing At a minimum, a home in the development. development would be affordAt their Nov. 14 meeting the able to the average family bringCity Council ing in 60 perwill consider cent of King “It will be a typical transferring County’s Habitat project with the Lamb median House to Habitat partner families income, or Habitat For roughly doing sweat equity and $40,000, Humanity, who intend to according a volunteers providing tear down the version almost 90 percent of the draft 52-year-old of the agreelabor.” home and ment between develop a clusthe city and – Tom Granger, ter of affordHabitat. Habitat for Humanity – able homes on The majorithe 1.5-acre ty of the units site. would be The home, located on 228th affordable for someone making Avenue Southeast near half the county’s median income, Southeast 20th Street, had been or about $33,500. used to house parks and public works equipment until the city See HABITAT, Page 2
Photo by Caleb Heeringa
Sammamish resident Troy Woodward gives his 8-year-old son Will some pointers at the pool table at the new Sammamish EX3 Teen and Recreation Center Nov. 3. For more, see Page 6
Skyline soccer wins KingCo
Issaquah’s science debuts
sports page 18
schools page 16
See SCHOOLS, Page 2
Adding a second driveway to the new Boys and Girls Club facility will be a little more expensive than planned due to unexpected geological issues. The Sammamish City Council voted unanimously to approve a $27,000 change order for the driveway project at their Nov. 1 meeting. Crews installing the driveway, which will allow access from Northeast Inglewood Hill Road, discovered a large amount of organic material in the soil underneath that had not been discovered during pre-construction geotechnical drilling. The material will have to be moved and replaced with more stable soil to prevent settling that would ruin the driveway. City Manager Ben Yazici noted that the total cost of the project, around $234,000, is still well under the $350,000 earmarked for the project. The driveway will provide a new access point to the newlyopened teen center in what had been the Sammamish Library. Without it, access is only possible from southbound 228th Avenue.
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