Tuesday’s first batch of special election results are showing strong voter opposition to a replacement maintenance and operations levy for Evergreen Public Schools.
Clark County’s largest school district was receiving a 59.39 percent “no” vote on Proposition No. 5, the proposed educational programs and operational levy that would replace the district’s current levy when it expires in December.
The three-year levy would fund a number of school programs and critical positions not funded by the state, including school nurses, mental health counselors and paraeducators working in special education. It also funds student elective and extracurricular programs like performing arts and athletics.
“We’re disappointed with the initial results, but we’re waiting to see how it turns out officially,” said John Boyd, Evergreen’s interim superintendent.
Boyd was appointed interim superintendent following the termination of Mike Merlino in December 2021.
As they continue to watch votes come in over the next few days, the board of directors will move to discuss the results and plan its next steps, Boyd said.
“The dollars that the levy produces support a lot of programs for students,” Boyd said. “It’s hard to see it fail.”
Other measures
Voters in the Hockinson School District are passing a four-year replacement levy, with 52.10 percent voting yes. The levy supports similar programs for students that are unfunded by the state.
Voters in the Green Mountain School District are passing their local schools levy, with 57.14 percent voting yes.
The maintenance and operations levy for the Mount Pleasant School District is also passing, with 67.14 percent of voters saying yes. The vast majority of voters in the Mount Pleasant district live across county lines in Skamania County.
The replacement levy for the La Center School District was failing with 54.22 percent of voters saying no.
Voter turnout as of Tuesday was 21.29 percent, but that level will rise as the county tallies another estimated 17,000 ballots in the coming days. The next set of results is due out at 4 p.m. today.
