School funding is once again on the ballot, with three Clark County school districts asking voters to approve three-year replacement levies. Ballots must be postmarked today or dropped in a ballot drop box by 8 p.m.
The Hockinson, Ridgefield and Mount Pleasant school districts are seeking operations levies. Hockinson is also seeking a three-year technology levy.
In Hockinson, the replacement three-year levy failed in February with 52.54 percent of the 2,739 total votes coming against the levy. The three-year technology levy drew less support, with 53.94 of the vote going against the measure. It the two levies fail again, the district will have to make cuts, ranging from $1.5 million to $1.8 million for the 2019-2020 school year, Superintendent Sandra Yager previously told The Columbian.
The district is seeking $1.50 per $1,000 of assessed property value for all three years of the replacement levy, the maximum that can be requested in the new state funding model. That money would be used to keep class sizes down and to help fund special education programs, extracurricular activities and athletics. The technology levy would start in 2020, at a cost of 45 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value, followed by 40 cents per $1,000 in 2021 and 36 cents per $1,000 in 2022. The money would be used for technology refreshes, safety and security upgrades, heating and cooling improvements and building capital improvements.
