Replacement levies passing in three small districts; Hockinson tech levy failing

Replacement levies at three Clark County small school districts were passing in Tuesday’s special election, but a technology levy in Hockinson was failing.

Hockinson, Ridgefield and Mount Pleasant were all running replacement three-year operations levies.

Hockinson’s replacement levy was passing with 50.32 percent of the vote. Ridgefield’s was passing with 56.22 percent of the vote. Mount Pleasant’s was passing with 53.85 percent of the vote in ballots cast in both Clark and Skamania counties

Hockinson’s three-year technology levy was losing with 47.74 percent support.

This was Hockinson’s second time running both levies in recent months, as each failed in February. The operations levy received 52.54 percent of the vote against, and the technology levy failed with 53.94 percent of the vote against it in February.

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.

Ridgefield was seeking a three-year replacement levy at $1.50 per $1,000 of assessed property value for all three years. The district is also coming off an unsuccessful election in February, when Ridgefield voters turn down a proposed $77 million bond vote. The district will most likely try again on the bond sometime in 2020.

Mount Pleasant is asking voters for more than the capped $1.50 per $1,000 of assessed value, but can only collect what the state allows. The district is seeking $155,000 per year. The estimated levy rate to get the district there is $3.53 per $1,000 of assessed property value in 2020, $3.48 per $1,000 in 2021 and $3.43 per $1,000 in 2022.

The district can’t collect that much unless the state Legislature raises the cap on local levies.