School bonds have failed recently in Walla Walla, College Place and Milton-Freewater.

By Maria P. Gonzalez of the Union-Bulletin

For the last few years, several local school districts have invested time and money to detail their individual facilities' needs.

Many schools are facing growing student populations while housing students in aging buildings that cost more each year to maintain.

The Walla Walla, College Place and Milton-Freewater school districts each have tried for several bonds in the last few years. With the passing years, school bonds have become tougher to pass. Comprehensive bonds that would have addressed several needs at once have been particularly ill-fated.

In Walla Walla, for example, a May 2006 bond for nearly $54 million to rebuild three schools failed by a large margin. The bond was part of a greater plan to meet the school district's facilities needs for the next 25 years.

In College Place in February 2004, a $17.75 million bond proposal to build a new high school and update existing schools also failed.

Milton-Freewater has had the toughest time replacing its schools, failing in May 2000 to pass a comprehensive bond to rebuild three of its five schools for about $21 million. The district also failed to pass subsequent bond proposals that would have rebuilt the schools one at a time.

In many cases, the rejected bonds forced districts to reconsider their proposals and reconnect with city residents to come up with a winning plan.

After months of study, Walla Walla schools floated and passed a bond in February 2007 to rebuild Edison Elementary for $19.5 million. Construction begins in 2008.

But if the past has shown school districts anything, it's to not scare off the voting public with complicated plans while asking for large sums of money.

When asked to respond with projected facilites needs for the next 20 years, the Walla Walla School District stated it had no plans to present any bonds. The statement by Superintendent Rich Carter reads: ``At this time Walla Walla Public Schools has no plans for facilities improvement bond issues. There are no timelines established for when future facilities issues will be brought before the community.''

College Place and Milton-Freewater districts also failed to provide responses as to projected facilities needs for the next 20 years despite repeated requests.

Information offered in this series was compiled from past studies, bond attempts and reports previously made public by each district.