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Hockinson Bond 2025

More Space. Safer Schools.

At 924 students, Hockinson Heights Elementary School is the largest elementary school in Clark County. The school is overcrowded, which causes traffic congestion, long lunch windows, and portable classroom use.

The bond proposal would build a second elementary school to solve overcrowding, while also making safety and facilites improvements at all Hockinson schools. Remember to vote by February 11.

Bond FAQs

Hockinson School District Board Votes to Place Bond on February 11, 2025 Ballot

The Hockinson School District School Board voted unanimously on October 28 to place a bond measure on the February 11, 2025, Special Election ballot. The proposal focuses on community-prioritized projects including building a second elementary school, district-wide safety improvements, a new job readiness education building at the high school, a replacement multi-use high school track and field, and a covered outdoor area at the middle school.

In February 2025, Hockinson School District has a bond on the ballot with funding to:

Exterior of blue steel building with garage bay door.
Add a Job Readiness Education Building at Hockinson High School

The proposed Career & Technical Education building at Hockinson High School would be a hands-on space for students to explore job readiness skills in classes like wood tech, construction skills, and more. Matching funds and in-kind donations have been offered from industry leader and philanthropist Douglas Green to support the project.

Group of high school athletes play football on grass field
Replace the Track and Install Synthetic Field at Hockinson High School

The Hockinson High School track is over 20 years old, and HHS is the only school in its 17-school Greater St Helens league without an artificial turf stadium field. Maintaining both costs the district over $20,000 annually.

The field is multi-use: PE, athletics, marching band, and community recreation.

Student stands outdoors on basketball court in misty weather while wearing an orange foam hand.
Add a Covered Outdoor Area at HMS

A covered outdoor area at HMS would offer students protection from the elements during lunch, recess, and physical activities regardless of weather conditions.

Bond Breakdown

 
Pie chart shows bond funding priorities 1-5

1: New TK-5 elementary school = about $57.7 local bond contribution, after impact fees and property sales and state-assisted funding (65.7% of total bond)

2: HHES demo, rebuild and remodel: Connected campus & Safety Upgrade = about $23.3 million (26.5% of total bond)

3: HHS CTE Building & HS Safety Upgrade = approximately $1.2 million, leveraging additional in-kind and cash donor contributions (1.4% of total bond)

4: Replacement Track and Install Multi-Use Synthetic Turf Field HHS = about $4.8 million (5.5% of total bond)

5: HMS Outdoor Play Area & Safety Upgrade = about $800,000 (0.9% of total bond)

Maximizing Every Dollar

Hockinson School District will stretch local tax dollars by utilizing over $2 million in impact fees and district property sales, as well as $8.7 million in anticipated state construction assistance funding. State funding assistance is only available if the bond passes.

Remember to vote by Feb 11

Ballots are due by February 11, 2025.  Hockinson voters will receive ballots by mail in late January. Voters can return completed ballots by mail or using a Clark County Elections dropbox.  

  • If voting by mail, ballots must be postmarked no later than Election Day; 

  • If using a drop box, ballot must be turned in by 8 pm on Election Day; 

  • If returned in person to the Elections Office, it must be received by 8 pm on Election Day.

What will the bond cost?

The total proposed bond amount is $87.75 million spread out over a maximum term of 21 years. 

Hockinson’s previously approved bond will decrease in 2026 and will be paid off by 2035. Approval of the current bond proposal will result in an estimated $0.68 increase per $1,000 of assessed value.

 

The district cannot collect more than the total collection amount proposed to and approved by voters. For example, if the community grows and more people move to Hockinson, the district does not collect more than the total approved collection amount. Instead, the overall cost of the proposed bond is spread out across more households, resulting in lower tax rates.

What Does This Mean for Homeowners?

The cost to a homeowner with a home valued at the following is estimated to pay an increase of:

Assessed Home Value

Estimated Cost Per Month

$500,000

$28.33

$750,000

$42.50

$1,000,000

$56.67

For example, if your home’s assessed value is $750,000, your additional cost would be about $43 per month or $510 per year. Homeowners can use the following formula to calculate their estimated bond cost:

Assessed home value x estimated rate ÷ 1000  = Annual Cost

Annual Cost ÷ 12 = Monthly Cost

How is the Tax Rate Calculated?

The tax rate for the proposed bond is expressed as a rate per $1,000 of assessed property value. Here’s how the rate is determined:

  1. Total Debt Service: The district calculates the total amount needed to pay its bond obligations for the year, including principal and interest.
  2. Total Assessed Property Value: The total value of all taxable property within the district is calculated annually by the county assessor.
  3. Tax Rate Calculation:

Tax Rate = Total Debt Service / Total Assessed Value X 1,000

Upcoming Events

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Community input is the very heart of this process.

Meet the Facility Planning Committee (FPC)

Group of adults around a table indoors

The FPC, which began in the 2022-2023 school year, consists of community members, a board member, and HSD staff. The committee conducted family surveys in 2023 to identify community priorities and propose solutions to school facility needs. 

Learn more about the FPC

Community Input

854

Over the course of four FPC surveys, more than 800 respondents provided input on facility needs and solutions.

6

The Facilities Planning Committee provided families with information and invited input at 6 open house events and family nights. These events included information about facility needs, the Facilities Planning Committee, and ways to voice input.

66%

In community surveys this year, 66% of respondents prioritized building a second elementary school to alleviate overcrowding at Hockinson Heights Elementary School. 62.6% of respondents said that modern school safety improvements are a priority. These community priorities, along with other survey responses, guided the Facilities Planning Committee research process and recommendations to the school board that led to the bond proposal.

View all survey results

Past Bond Event Archive

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In Hockinson, it's possible.

Take a look at a few of the facilities projects that the Hockinson community has completed over the last 25 years.

HHS student hugs HSD staff member during graduation ceremony.
Building Hockinson High School

Hockinson High School first opened its doors in 2003. The bond that constructed Hockinson High School was approved by a margin of 9 votes.

Long landscape view of the Hockinson Middle School building from exterior
Constructing Hockinson Middle School

In 2015, the Hockinson community approved a bond to fund the construction of Hockinson Middle School (HMS), playing fields at the high school, state of the art high school band facilities, tennis courts, covered stadium seating, and a multipurpose indoor athletic field house.