It took a while longer than supporters had hoped, but a $140 million school bond package and a maintenance and operations levy appear to be passing.
At The Enterprise’s deadline, the levy was passing with a 63.51”yes” vote while the bond was closer — 60.94 approval — just over the 60 percent required to pass each measure. Results of the election will be certified Feb. 16.
School district supporters gathered Tuesday evening at the Edmonds Conference Center to await the results. The mood in the room was as tense five minutes after the initial results were posted as it was five minutes before.
“I won’t breathe until 9:30 or 10 (p.m.),” Citizens for Schools Co-chair Madeline Herzog said.
First returns showed both measures failing. Superintendent Nick Brossoit said that he would wait until the numbers are final to react.
“We really appreciate the vote and the support from our community,” he said. “I’ll just wait and see what the numbers are.”
By 11 p.m., the results were looking more like what supporters wanted.
The bond would provide $86 million for a new Lynnwood High School, $38 million to remodel Meadowdale Middle School and $16 million to accomplish a laundry list of maintenance and technological upgrades.
Once the new Lynnwood High is built on district-owned property near North Road, the district will lease the valuable land the current school is on, just across the street from the Alderwood mall.
Brossoit said that as many as 6,000 votes have yet to be counted, which could have an effect on the final outcome. He said that historically the later counts have followed a positive trend.
“I am going to have a much more solid opinion (Thursday),” Brossoit said.
According to district officials, the construction schedule and the sale of the bonds needed to do the work would be spread over a number of years, reducing the impact to taxpayers. The district estimates that tax rates would gradually decline over the next several years if both measures pass.
The levy provides approximately 20 percent of the district’s operating expenses. This includes teacher salaries and student programs.
The measures seemed to have widespread support among voters, even if voting was more difficult than some hoped.
The main road to Westgate Elementary, which is traditionally a popular polling place was closed due to construction. Also, voters in five precincts received mail-in ballots even though they vote at the polls. The Snohomish County Auditor’s office sent a letter with the ballot that contained no explanation for the switch.
“I’m a retired teacher, so I’m all for schools,” Edmonds resident Alicia McCullough said. “I’ve lived through too many failed levies.”
Edmonds resident Jon Smith said that regardless of what the district had proposed, he would have supported it.
“I’ve got kids that are going through the schools,” Smith said. “So, I’m for anything toward education.”
Brossoit said he was thankful for the continued support from the community.
“A big thank you to the community, the supporters and the volunteers,” he said.
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