RENO -- The Education Alliance of Washoe County is formally endorsing Assembly Bill 46, joining numerous community and business groups in support of the bill that would provide funding for repairs and maintenance at schools in the Washoe County School District.

"The Education Alliance of Washoe County Board of Directors unanimously supports the passage of AB 46,” said Jim Pfrommer, president of the Board of Directors for the Education Alliance of Washoe County. “Part of the mission of the Education Alliance is to foster education excellence in Washoe County through community and education partnerships. The funding provided by AB 46 will allow the school district to continue to address the basic, essential repairs at its schools so that it can continue to attend to job 1— the education of our future workforce and community leaders.”

AB 46 would establish a ¼ percent increase in the sales tax and a property tax increase of $0.05 per $100 of assessed value in Washoe County. The cost for the average family is $8 per month. The bill would provide approximately $20 million annually for maintenance and repairs at 93 WCSD schools.

Sixty percent of WCSD schools are more than 30 years old, and 25 percent of WCSD schools are more than 50 years old. Altogether, the District maintains more than seven million square feet of building space, and officials say a number of roofs, boilers, HVAC systems, electrical and plumbing equipment, flooring, and pavement is in need of maintenance work or replacement. WCSD’s only major source of funding, the 2002 rollover bond, expired in November 2012, leaving the District with no way to generate capital funding to maintain its buildings. Unlike other school districts in Nevada that have access to other funding sources for capital projects, the 2002 rollover bond was WCSD’s major source of funding.

"I believe in the District’s implementation of the progressive five-year strategic plan, and a proper and safe working environment for our students and educators is vital to the plan’s success,” said Pfrommer. “AB 46 will help provide a productive and safe education climate for the students of WCSD."

Groups that have already offered their formal endorsement of AB 46 include: The Chamber; Associated General Contractors of Northern Nevada; EDAWN ( Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada); the Council for Excellence in Education; Nevada Association of School Boards; Nevada State Education Association; Builders Association of Northern Nevada; Parent Leaders for Education; the Nevada Association of REALTORS; the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties; and Painters and Allied Trades Local 567.

The Education Alliance (EA) was established as a non-profit organization, focusing on K-16 programs that support academic achievement, community partnerships, and workforce development. EA programs provide a link between schools and the community through advocacy, Partners in Education, and Teacher’s Warehouse.