Early returns show voters in Seattle and in other parts of Western Washington are saying yes to school levies that would help pay for everything from basic supplies to teacher salaries and new buildings.
The two levies for the Seattle school district add up to more than $1 billion. Both are both passing by healthy margins.
Proposition 1, a three-year levy, will cover about 25 percent of the district’s basic operating expenses, including teacher salaries. Proposition 2 covers a variety of projects including the renovation and reopening of three schools to ease overcrowding.
Both are replacing expiring levies. People who own a $450,000 house in Seattle will see property taxes go up about $145.
In Snohomish County, all of the school levies are passing except for a bond measure for the Sultan School District. Sultan was hoping to build a new high school. The current building was designed to hold 325 students. Today more than 560 kids go there.
And in Pierce County, voters are saying yes to all measures except in the Yelm School District. A $59 million bond is failing to get the votes needed to pass. The bond would have paid for the replacement and expansion of two schools. Yelm expects to see an influx of up to 900 new students in the coming years. District officials say they’ll have to use more portables.
