Battle Ground schools bond 224 votes shy of victory

Less than 250 votes separate Battle Ground Public Schools from a victory on its bond measure. But it appears there are only an estimated 300 votes left to be tallied countywide, according to Thursday returns.

Battle Ground Public Schools received 58.62 percent approval in its $224.9 million construction bond, according to the latest total. That’s 9,540 of the 16,273 votes cast.

Had about 224 of those flipped to “yes,” Battle Ground — like neighbor districts Evergreen Public Schools and La Center School District — would have been celebrating a victory.

Bonds require a 60 percent supermajority in Washington state, a threshold Battle Ground also failed to hit in 2016, when the district ran an $80 million bond. That year, 55.43 percent of voters supported the effort.

The district hasn’t determined how it will move forward in light of the bond’s failure, but Superintendent Mark Ross said the district will be making “tough choices” to address overcrowding and aging facilities at its campuses.

Evergreen Public Schools, meanwhile, extended its lead in its $695 million bond measure. The measure was passing with 61.3 percent of the 23,293 votes cast in the east Vancouver school district.

Also on Tuesday, La Center voters approved a school bond and Camas voters approved an emergency medical services levy.

More election results will be released Tuesday and the final results will be certified on Feb. 23.