Voters have very likely passed the Edmonds School District May 20 Technology and Capital Levy, early returns show.
With about 30 percent of registered voters counted Wednesday, May 21, at the Enterprise deadline, the measure already had a 63 percent yes vote. That means it’s highly unlikely to be defeated as the remaining votes are counted.
A fifty-percent yes vote would pass the measure.
If it passes, the levy will fund about 3,000 new computers and replace about 4,500 others in the district, among other technology upgrades and replacements.
The levy also includes capital improvements in school security, energy efficiency and school buildings.
It renews a 2004 technology levy that is expiring. It costs 28 cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation, or about $112 a year for a home assessed at $400,000.
That’s less than the old levy, at 52 cents per $1,000 of valuation.
Over four years, the levy would pull in about $31.4 million.
Most of the funds, about $24 million, would go to technology. About $17.1 million would be used to upgrade and add laptops and other technology. Another $4.1 million would go to teacher technology training and tech support.
About $7.5 million would go to capital projects, including electronic key systems and new classroom carpets.
Passage of the levy also frees up about $350,000 in the general fund, lowering a district budget gap from $3.2 to $2.9 million for 2008-09. That’s because the levy would pay for a software fee that would otherwise come from general fund dollars.
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