Everett school bond loses ground in latest tally of ballots

EVERETT — A $317.4 million bond measure for Everett schools slipped farther from approval in the latest tally of ballots released Wednesday.

Proposition 1 had support from 57.8%, down slightly from the 58.1% mark reached on Election Night. State law requires a bond measure receive at least 60% for passage.

“I continue to be optimistic,” said Superintendent Ian Saltzman.

Three aging elementary schools would be torn down and replaced and 36 new elementary classrooms would be constructed, with money from the bond, if it passes. There are also dollars penciled in for renovations at each of the district’s three high schools, new playground equipment at eight elementaries and replacement of the synthetic turf and track at Memorial Stadium.

Snohomish County election officials predict turnout for the election will be around 40% of the county’s 488,000 registered voters. About 29.8% of those ballots had been tallied as of Wednesday.

Within the boundaries of the Everett School District, there are 83,334 registered voters and 29.4% of their ballots had been returned.

The next round of results is due out Thursday afternoon.

In the Lakewood School District, prospects for passage of a two-year technology levy improved slightly.

On Wednesday, 49.5% of voters backed the levy, up from the 48.8% recorded Tuesday night. Unlike bonds, levies only require a simple majority for passage.

But a separate four-year enrichment levy is still getting rejected by a resounding 55.5%. It was intended as a renewal of an existing four-year levy that expires at the end of the year. As proposed it would have brought in roughly $6.3 million next year and close to $27 million over four years.

Darrington School District also suffered a setback as voters turned down its proposed two-year supplemental levy.

Proceeds from those levies were intended to pay for services and programs in each district not funded by state. This would include school nurses, support staff for special needs students, athletic programs, band, clubs, drama, and facility and transportation maintenance.

For both districts, it marked the second time this year that voters had rejected a levy. The county’s last double levy failure occurred 27 years ago in Snohomish.

Jerry Cornfield: 360-352-8623; jcornfield@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @dospueblos.