Voters back school levies in Ridgefield, La Center

Initial results on Tuesday night are showing wins for schools funding measures in both Ridgefield and La Center.

Each measure requires a simple majority to pass and would continue to pay for programs and staff not funded by the state, such as athletics, extracurricular activities, mental health services and more.

Proposition No. 9 – Ridgefield

The Ridgefield School District’s replacement educational programs and operations levy appears to be passing, with 57.48 percent voting to approve. The three-year levy would replace the district’s current levy when it expires at the end of 2022; collections would begin in 2023.

The levy would support the collection of an estimated $1.50 per $1,000 assessed property value.

“I’m really excited and grateful,” said Joe Vance, the president of Ridgefield’s board of directors. “If this shows anything, it shows we have a large majority that favors the schools in this county.”

This measure is different than the capital facilities bond that Ridgefield ran unsuccessfully in February and April of this year, which would have funded the construction of a handful of new school buildings.

Proposition No. 5 – La Center

The La Center School District’s replacement educational programs and operations levy also appears to be passing, though by a slimmer margin, with 51.08 percent voting to approve. Like Ridgefield, this three-year levy would replace the current funding measure when it expires in December and collections for the new levy would begin in 2023.

La Center’s levy would also support the collection of $1.50 per $1,000 assessed property value through 2025.

“I’m hopeful and anxious,” said La Center superintendent Peter Rosenkranz. “I am surprised at the turnout, I was thinking there’d be significantly more. But I don’t know what the next few days hold.”