Final election results certified for Thurston County school bonds, levies
The Thurston County Auditor has certified results for the Feb. 9 special election involving eight public school districts and two fire districts.
The auditor’s office reports that 57,072 ballots were cast for a voter turnout of about 34.9 percent.
The proposed construction bond to build new facilities for the overcrowded Yelm Community Schools was the only measure that didn’t pass. A similar measure also failed in a special election held Feb. 10, 2015.
School districts
Griffin School District: A four-year, $9.15 million maintenance and operations levy passed with about 65 percent of the vote.
North Thurston Public Schools: A four-year, $163.5 million maintenance and operations levy passed with about 68 percent of the vote.
Olympia School District: A four-year $106.8 million maintenance and operations levy passed with nearly 76 percent of the vote. Also, a 20-year, $160.7 million construction bond passed with about 72 percent of the vote.
Rainier School District: A four-year, $6.76 million maintenance and operations levy passed with 65 percent of the vote.
Rochester School District: A four-year, $16.3 million maintenance and operations levy passed with almost 63 percent of the vote. As a result, the district qualifies for about $1 million in state levy equalization funding that is available to communities with a low tax base.
Tenino School District: A four-year, $12.14 million maintenance and operations levy passed with about 58 percent of the vote. As a result, the district qualifies for about $250,000 in state levy equalization funding.
Tumwater School District: A four-year, $64.96 million maintenance and operations levy passes with about 67 percent of the vote.
Yelm Community Schools: A four-year, $45.9 million maintenance and operations levy passes with almost 59 percent of the vote. As a result, the district qualifies for about $3 million in state levy equalization funds.
However, a 21-year, $59.5 million bond has failed with 53.7 percent of the vote; it needed at least 60 percent to pass. Part of the school district is located in Pierce County, where voters rejected both measures. The levy received about 49.7 percent of “yes” votes in Pierce County, while the bond received about 46.6 percent approval, according to the Pierce County Auditor.
Fire districts
West Thurston Regional Fire Authority (Rochester): A three-year maintenance and operations levy passed with about 75.5 percent of the vote. The rate is about 70 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value and is expected to generate about $606,140 a year starting in 2017. The money will help maintain staffing and services at the Rochester and Grand Mound fire stations.
West Thurston Regional Fire Authority (Littlerock): A three-year maintenance and operations levy passes with about 70.7 percent of the vote. The rate is about 70 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value and is expected to generate about $606,235 a year starting in 2017. The money will help maintain staffing and services at the Littlerock, Scott Lake and Maytown fire stations.
Levy vs. bond
What’s the difference between a levy and a bond?
Both are property taxes, but in general terms, levies cover expenses for learning while bonds pay for construction. Local levies pay for paraeducator salaries, curriculum and special education, as well as operational costs such as transportation, custodial services and maintenance.
Bonds are longer term tax debts that generate money for building. Bonds require a supermajority of 60 percent “yes” votes in an election to pass.
This story was originally published February 19, 2016 at 4:30 PM with the headline "Final election results certified for Thurston County school bonds, levies."