The replacement levy for the Centralia School District is passing as of the election night ballot count Tuesday.
In Lewis County, 2,674 ballots, 55.92% of the total, were in favor of the levy, while 2,108, or 44.08%, had voted “no.”
In Thurston County, 31 ballots, or 35.63% of the total, were in favor of the levy, while 56, or 64.37%, had voted “no.”
The levy requires the combined results from both counties to surpass 50% in order to pass.
Some ballots submitted to drop boxes or postmarked before 8 p.m. Tuesday have yet to be tallied. The next count will be announced Wednesday afternoon.
Voter turnout in Lewis County was 32.52% and 25.4% in Thurston County.
The replacement educational programs and operations levy would raise $6,200,000 for the Centralia School District in 2025 and 2026. The district estimates the levy would cost $1.15 in 2025 and 2026.
“This is huge for our city, for our kids and for our future,” said Centralia City Councilor Sarah Althauser of the election results on Tuesday. “Passing of the levy is not only a big deal for our kids, but it shapes our future so it’s really exciting. Seeing the community outpour is really great.”
This ballot measure marks the Centralia School District’s third attempt to pass a replacement levy since February 2023.
A levy proposal for $1.50 per $1,000 assessed value failed on both the February 2023 and April 2023 ballots, prompting the district to make $4.2 million in cuts to the 2023-24 budget to account for the previous levy expiring at the end of December 2023.
The amount requested on the February ballot is lower than the district’s previous two requests of $1.50 per $1,000 of assessed property value, which would have allowed the district to collect no more than $6.7 million in 2024 and no more than $7.6 million in 2025 had they passed.
The levy that expired at the end of 2023 allowed the district to collect an annual total of $4.6 million for 2023.
If passed, the February 2024 levy proposal would allow the district to keep funding the items in its current budget without making more cuts and support programs such as athletics and music that are currently being funded by unsustainable sources, such as the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund and booster clubs, according to previous Chronicle reporting.
Centralia School District Superintendent Lisa Grant expressed her thanks to the voters and to the Citizens for Centralia Schools volunteer group, “who really did tremendous work to support our districts and our students in the campaign,” Grant said. “We are thankful for that. And we are also accountable to that. So we know we have continued work to do and will be responsible to our community for that. But we really do appreciate that support for our students.”
More results from Lewis and Thurston counties:
While the ballot didn’t feature candidates running for public office, school districts throughout Southwest Washington were hoping for a passing grade when initial results from the February special election rolled in Tuesday night.
Initial results included ballots from 10,997 of the county’s 33,815 registered voters, a turnout rate of 32.52%. Election results will be certified by the county at 9 a.m. on Feb. 23.
The special election included 11 school districts and local municipalities looking to pass capital bonds or levies. In Washington state, levies need a simple majority of voters to pass, while bonds require 60% approval.
Here are the initial results, as of 8 p.m. Tuesday night:
• The Chehalis School District replacement levy was passing on election night. Read more here: https://www.chronline.com/stories/election-night-tally-indicates-chehalis-school-districts-levy-proposal-will-likely-pass,334483
For full results and updated counts from Lewis County’s special election, visit https://results.vote.wa.gov/results/20240213/lewis/.
