North Thurston levy passes

Many programs, staff positions saved from cuts

By Diane Huber | The Olympian • Published May 21, 2008

The North Thurston Public Schools maintenance and operations levy easily passed Tuesday night, averting $17.5 million in cuts three months after a similar levy failed.

With about 43 percent of 48,000 ballots turned in Tuesday night, more than 62 percent of voters had approved the two-year levy. That's a 15-percentage-point jump from the 47.8 percent who voted in favor of the failed levy in February.

More are expected to come in the mail this week, but elections officials said they're confident that updated ballot counts won't change results.

Administrators, principals, parents and teachers jumped, cheered and embraced when they heard the news at the county's ballot-processing center.

"That's the best news," said Chuck Namit, president of the North Thurston Public Schools board of directors. "We owe (the community) a lot of thanks, and we're going to be really accountable to these voters. ... A very happy night for a lot of employees and a great night for us."

District officials attributed the success to better education and outreach and a voter-registration drive. Since February, 1,700 additional voters who live in the school district registered, district officials said.

"I think there was a lot more factual information that was presented to the community, and they clearly needed that and clearly appreciated that," said Gretchen Maliska, co-chairwoman of the North Thurston Citizens for Schools levy committee.

Voters approved a $48.9 million maintenance and operations levy with an estimated rate of $2.18 per $1,000 of assessed valuation. That will cost taxpayers $654 annually for a $300,000 home, about $100 more than at the current rate of $1.83. The district will collect $23.5 million in 2009 and $25.4 million the following year.

The levy represents about 16 percent of the district's $112 million budget.

Even with the levy passage, the district will make $3.8 million in cuts to the 2008-09 budget, mainly by reducing transportation costs, creating classrooms with combined grade levels at some elementary schools and cutting grant-funded programs that provided mentoring, after-school care, prevention services and services to at-risk youths.

Without the levy, the district was prepared to cut $17.5 million in staff and programs, including 110 teaching positions.

"It would have been lost opportunities for kids," Superintendent Jim Koval said.

Last time the district made severe program cuts was in 1994, when voters rejected the maintenance and operations levy twice in one year.

The district will recall the 70 layoff notices that were issued to teachers this month.

North Thurston and Rochester were the only school districts statewide with maintenance and operations levies that failed in February. Both levies were passed the second time by more than 60 percent. Feb. 19 was the first election to take place after voters statewide approved allowing maintenance and operations levies to pass with simple majority, rather than the 60 percent supermajority.

Diane Huber covers education for The Olympian. She can be reached at 360-357-0204 or dhuber@theolympian.com.