Washougal, Hockinson bond measures pass

With the last outstanding votes from Tuesday’s special election apparently counted, multimillion dollar construction bond measures for Washougal and Hockinson schools have passed.

Clark County elections officials announced the results Friday, showing each district’s proposal surpassing the 60 percent approval mark, the minimum level of support needed to pass a bond measure.

Support for Washougal’s $57.7 million bond measure, Proposition 5, climbed to 60.94 percent as the final votes were counted in Clark and Skamania counties. Hockinson’s $39.9 million bond measure, Proposition 1, finished with approval from 62.23 percent of the voters.

The money will be put toward several major construction projects. The bulk of Washougal’s bond money will go toward building a new elementary school, and replacing Jemtegaard Middle School and Excelsior, the district’s small alternative high school.

Hockinson will use the bonds to pay for a new middle school, and build several athletic fields and rooms for wrestling teams and band students.

A portion of the funding in each district will also go into security upgrades.

Between Clark and Skamania counties, 7,221 ballots were cast in the election. Nearly 18,000 people were eligible to vote in the election, and each county had a turnout rate of about 40 percent.