PORT TOWNSEND — A Quilcene School District proposal for a $12.3 million construction bond was less than a percentage point away from passage as the final count in the Feb. 8 special election loomed today.
In the latest count of ballots, 472 voters approved the bond measure, a percentage of 59.37. Opposed to the measure were 323 voters or 40.63 percent.
School district bond measures require 60 percent supermajority voter approval to pass.
Certification of the special election will be this afternoon.
Superintendent Frank Redmon said if the measure doesn’t pass after the final count that a special meeting of the school board would be scheduled, probably for early next week, to discuss the next steps.
He said he wouldn’t characterize failure of the bond measure as a negative outcome.
“It is rare that school districts pass bonds on their first run,” he said, adding that the vote is very close and that he had heard many positive comments from community members.
The bond would fund the construction of a new elementary school, a new Career and Technical Education building, an improved weight room and improvements to athletic fields.
It was intended to replace a capital levy now in place, which has a tax rate this year of $1.74 per $1,000 of assessed value, so that school taxes would remain the same for about the next 20 years.
Levies require only a simple majority. Both of the Port Townsend School District levies as well as the Brinnon School District levy passed by more than 70 percent.
Today before certification, a few ballots are still left to count, along with some others that were challenged and have been corrected, Election Coordinator Quinn Grewell said on Thursday.
It is not known how many of those were filled out by voters in the Quilcene School District, which has 1,649 registered voters. According to the latest count on Feb. 14, 795 people voted in the district, giving the ballot question a 48.2 percent voter turnout.
Countywide, 7,961 ballots were returned out of the 16,213 provided registered voters for a voter turnout of 49.1 percent.
Voters approved the Port Townsend School District’s three-year educational programs and operations levy (EP&O) with 76 percent to 24 percent opposed. The district’s capital levy was approved by 75 percent to 25.1 percent.
Both replace existing levies that will expire this year.
The EP&O levy will collect $3.45 million in 2023 through an estimated 90 cents per $1,000 assessed value property tax rate, expected to decrease to 86 cents per $1,000 in 2024, when $3.55 million would be collected, and go down again to 79 cents per $1,000 to collect $3.53 million in 2025.
The capital projects levy funds the installation of solar panels at Salish Coast Elementary School, improved accessibility for disabled students at Port Townsend High School and Blue Heron Middle School, a seismic study at PTHS, and technology upgrades to help ensure student access across the district.
It will collect $1.75 million in 2023 through an estimated 46 cents per $1,000 assessed value property tax. In 2024, $2 million would be collected through an estimated property tax of 48 cents per $1,000, and in 2025, it would collect another $2 million through an estimated 45 cents per $1,000 property tax.
Brinnon School District voters approved a two-year EP&O levy to replace one expiring this year with a vote of 73 percent to 27 percent opposed.
The district will collect $327,395 in 2023 through a 92 cents per $1,000 assessed value property tax. In 2024, the levy would collect $337,217 through a 91 cent per $1,000 tax.
Neighboring Clallam County is the only county in Washington state that had no special elections on Feb. 8.
More information on the Jefferson County elections can be found at www.co.jefferson.wa.us/1266/elections.
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Executive Editor Leah Leach can be reached at 360-417-3530 or at lleach@peninsuladailynews.com.
Reporter Ken Park contributed to this story.