School districts back to square 1

By Eric Stevick

Herald Writer

The Lakewood School District learned Friday that its operations levy was approved by voters, but four other Snohomish County school districts will be making a second pitch to voters for local funding in the months ahead.

Absentee ballots counted Friday raised the final percentages for the Snohomish and Stanwood-Camano Island school levy proposals, but not enough to reach the 60 percent supermajority required by state law.

Snohomish finished with a 59.66 percent "yes" vote, while Stanwood hovered around 59.3 percent.

Arlington and Darrington also had levies fail despite solid "yes" majorities.

A final official count will be made next week, but no one Friday was predicting a change in the outcome.

By state law, districts are allowed two chances to pass their levies. Administrative leaders from the four districts with failed levies will be making recommendations to their school boards in coming weeks. They expect to place levy proposals on the April 23 ballot.

Levy money helps pay for day-to-day costs of running schools, including instructional staff, supplies and training, and extracurricular activities. Typically, levies provide about 15 percent of a school district’s budget.

Kristine McDuffy, superintendent of the Lakewood School District, was relieved Friday that her district’s "yes" percentage had nudged up to 60.83.

"It has been hard to focus," she said. "I lost sleep."

Neal Powell, the Snohomish superintendent, said his school board will discuss its options.

"It may be the same (proposal). I don’t know," he said. "It’s pretty obvious we need the levy funding for basic survival."

Jean Shumate, superintendent of Stanwood-Camano schools, will meet with a budget advisory committee next week before making a recommendation to the school board.

"We are so, so close," she said.

The Stanwood-Camano district fared well in Snohomish County with a 63 percent "yes" vote. In Island County, the "yes" vote was around 56 percent.

Other school districts with levies that passed Tuesday were Coupeville, Edmonds, Everett, Granite Falls, Lake Stevens, Monroe, Mukilteo, Northshore and Sultan.

You can call Herald Writer Eric Stevick at 425-339-3446 or send e-mail to

stevick@heraldnet.com.

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