Ballot Title (Official Text)

Proposition No. 1 – Yakima School District No. 7
General Obligation Bonds – $200,000,000

The Board of Directors of Yakima School District No. 7 adopted Resolution No. 04.25.26 approving a proposition for bonds. This proposition would authorize the District to rebuild and refurnish Hoover and Garfield Elementary Schools; modernize buildings, upgrade District facilities for energy efficiency and replace roofs and, make improvements and additions to athletic facilities and playgrounds throughout the District, and make other capital improvements; to issue $200,000,000 of general obligation bonds maturing within a maximum of 20 years, and to collect excess property taxes annually to repay the bonds, as provided in Resolution No. 04.25.26.

Projects Identified in the Board Resolution

Elementary School Replacements

• Rebuild Hoover Elementary School (constructed in 1947)
• Rebuild Garfield Elementary School (constructed in 1966)

District-Wide Capital Improvements

• Title IX and ADA upgrades, including accessibility improvements
• Roof replacement and repairs
• Sidewalk, courtyard, paving, and drainage improvements
• Playground upgrades and replacements
• HVAC system replacements
• Turf replacement, track resurfacing, and court repairs
• Additional district-wide facility modernizations and efficiency upgrades
• Project management for all improvements

Estimated State Funding

The District may be eligible to receive up to $20,439,870 in state funding under Chapter 28A.525 RCW.
Actual funding is based on state formulas and may change.

Estimated Tax Information

(All estimates provided by the Assistant Superintendent of Finance.)

• Estimated bond amount: Not to exceed $200,000,000
• Average assessed home value in Yakima County: $311,600
• Estimated average homeowner tax impact:
– $20.50 per month
– $246 per year

Assumptions Used in the Estimate

• 20-year bond term
• Two bond sales (Fall 2026 and June 2028)
• Conservative assessed-valuation growth (3.5% through 2028, then 3%–2.5%)
• Interest-rate cushions included
• Continuation of current EP&O levy rate ($2.50 per $1,000)

Election Timeline

Resolution adopted: November 18, 2025
Approximate ballot mailing date: April 10, 2026
Resolution filing deadline: February 27, 2026

Special Election date: April 28, 2026
County certification of results: May 8, 2026

Bond Resolution (PDF)

A complete copy of Resolution No. 04.25.26 can be found here.

Estimate Your Property Tax

Click on the images below to view the 4-page handouts about the 2026 bond:

Presentation Slides

The materials linked below provide the financial and planning information presented to the Yakima School District Board of Directors during the November 2025 bond discussion. These slides summarize the district’s capital planning assumptions, estimated tax impacts, project categories identified in the resolution, election timelines, and related data used in preparing the April 2026 bond measure.

The slides are informational and reflect the financial models and facility information available at the time of presentation. They are provided here for public reference.

A link to the presentation is available on the Yakima School District Board Resources webpage here.

Announcements and Updates

February 6, 2026 - "For" and "Against" Committees

The Yakima School District is seeking community members to serve on the official “for” and “against” committees for the upcoming bond measure, as required by RCW 29A.32.280. These committees prepare statements for the local voters’ pamphlet. Click here to learn more. 

December 16, 2025 – Eisenhower’s Five Star Journal Publishes Feature on School Bond

Student journalists with Eisenhower High School’s Five Star Journal recently interviewed Yakima School District Superintendent Dr. Trevor Greene as part of a classroom learning experience focused on understanding school funding and bond measures. The student-written article summarizes information shared about the April 2026 school bond, including why bonds are used for school facilities and the types of projects that will be included on the ballot. The feature reflects students’ reporting on the topic and is intended to inform readers about how school bonds work.

November 18, 2025 – Board Adopts Bond Resolution

On November 18, 2025, the Yakima School District Board of Directors approved Resolution No. 04.25.26, placing a bond measure on the April 28, 2026 Special Election ballot.

The resolution authorizes submission of a proposal to issue general obligation bonds not to exceed $200,000,000 for projects identified in the resolution, including replacements of Hoover and Garfield Elementary Schools and district-wide capital improvements.

School Tours and Informational Sessions

Information about school tours and informational sessions related to the April 2026 bond measure will be posted on this page when schedules are finalized. Dates, times, and locations will be added once they are confirmed through the district’s standard public scheduling process. In the meantime, there are video tours available below. 

For now, this section serves as a placeholder so the community knows where to find future updates.