PORT ANGELES – A Port Angeles School District replacement levy was rolling toward victory Tuesday night with 65.70 percent of the ballots received so far approving the measure.

The levy received 6,129 votes, 65.70 percent, in favor and 3,200, or 34.30 percent, against.

“I feel an incredible sense of relief, followed by an overwhelming explosion of joy,” said Charlie McClain, school board president.

“This establishes a platform on which we can build. The board can now focus on how to help the schools attain the vision of the district,” he said.

“With additional help expected from Olympia, new programs can be put in place which will take us deep into the 21st century.”

Rhonda Curry, who co-chaired the Port Angeles Citizens for Education committee with Ray Gruver, attributed the voter turnout as well as the positive votes to the strategy selected by the district.

“We purposely led an all positive campaign,” she said.

“There was no fear mongering and we focused on the students and that it would better the community, instead of what we were going to lose.”

Superintendent Gary Cohn said he felt relieved that the numbers were looking good so far.

“It is just a fantastic result,” Cohn said.

“I think it says so much about the hard work of the staff and the volunteers.

“It says a lot about the solid support for the schools.”

The replacement levy was proposed to fill the gap between state and federal revenues and the actual costs of operating schools and educating students.

It accounts for about 17 percent of the annual maintenance and operations budget.

The votes were tallied from among 9,350 ballots, 50.25 percent of the 18,608 mail-in ballots issued, that were received, processed and could be counted Tuesday night.

Additional ballots will be counted at 4:30 p.m. Friday.