STANFORD - Olympia school district voters will be asked to support tax rate increases and several building projects that officials say won't increase the net property tax bills.

Olympia is planning meetings to win over voters and seek public opinion for shaping the district's improvement plans. A Thursday orientation session will kick off a series of meetings through October and November.

The Olympia school board voted Monday to put two referendums on the April 17, 2007, ballot that together would raise the property tax rate by $1 per $100 equalized assessed valuation.

Superintendent Donald Hahn said that despite the increase in property tax rates, taxpayers will not see a net increase in their overall tax bills because of corresponding reductions in the tax bills for bonds expiring in 2008 and 2009.

"This referendum is really a winning situation because we are not going to be raising taxes, but get to make our services and buildings better," said Hahn. "We have a unique window of opportunity to be able to do this without having to raise taxes."

One referendum will ask voters to let the district issue $12.5 million in bonds for a new Olympia North Elementary School in Danvers and upgrading the other two elementary schools and the high and middle schools. That would carry a rate increase of 50 cents per $100 EAV.

The other referendum would seek an increase of 50 cents per $100 EAV for the education fund, which pays for most operating expenses. The education rate would increase from $2.40 per $100 EAV to $2.90 per $100 EAV.

A community orientation meeting will be at 7 p.m. Thursday at Olympia High School auditorium, Stanford. Officials will introduce the process for developing the district's comprehensive improvement plan and answer questions about the plan.

During the next two months, district will offer sessions throughout the district to discuss school conditions and plans for the future.

Sam Johnson, lead architect with BLDD Architects, will be conducting the input sessions along with other representatives from the firm.

"We want to develop the strongest plan, and are going to start with the community and build from their concepts on up," Johnson said.

There will be two meetings at each school.

In the first meeting, BLDD representatives will have tours of the buildings and listen to what people say the needs are, Johnson said. He said visitors will be given rating sheets to gauge opinions one what is needed and not a needed.

In the second, a team of architects will report back with potential solutions and their costs for each building. A summary of work at the other buildings will be provided as well.

The information gathered at each session will be analyzed by a newly formed committee called the Olympia Citizen's Facility Planning Committee. It consists of parents, teachers and residents from throughout the district.

"The community should own these plans, and while not every suggestion will be able to be followed through with, we will incorporate many into our plans, and the community will have the opportunity to see this plan emerge before their very eyes," said Johnson. "We want to put together the strongest plan for the community."

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Olympia meetings

The following meetings have been scheduled to collect public opinion on Olympia school district construction plans.

Orientation

- 7 p.m. Thursday, Olympia High School auditorium.

School sessions

Each school will have two meetings, one for questions and a follow-up on findings. All will be at 7 p.m. in the school cafeteria.

- Olympia South Elementary School, Atlanta, Oct. 5 and 19

- Olympia West Elementary School, Minier, Oct. 5 and 19

- Olympia North Elementary School, Danvers, Oct. 12 and 26

- Olympia Middle and High School, Stanford, Oct. 12 and 26

Other sessions

- Citizens Facility Planning Committee meeting to develop options; 7 p.m. Nov. 2, middle-high school cafeteria, Stanford.

- Citizens Facility Planning Committee presentation to the school board; 7 p.m. Nov. 13 at the unit office, Stanford.

- Public forum on options; 7 p.m. Nov. 30 middle-high school cafeteria, Stanford.

- Citizens Facility Planning Committee presentation to the board; 7 p.m., Dec. 11 at unit office.

SOURCE: Olympia school district; BLDD Architects

Compiled by Connie Seastedt