RSSVoters to decide slew of school levies on Tuesday
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YAKIMA, Wash. -- Voters in Yakima County will decide Tuesday night on 11 school levies and two school construction bonds. Voters in neighboring counties are also casting ballots for local levies.
In most areas, school district officials have asked voters to boost how much money taxpayers give to help maintain and run the districts. The special election comes as state legislators consider cutting K-12 spending again as they try to close a $1.5 billion budget shortfall.
The proposed increases range from less than 1 percent in Union Gap to 43 percent in Sunnyside, where district officials are asking voters to increase the total amount collected by $2.47 million over four years.
In Sunnyside and in every other district with a levy on the ballot, school officials say the money is necessary to keep current programs and avoid further cuts.
School officials in Selah and Naches Valley are asking voters to approve bonds to pay for new schools.
Last year, Selah voters twice turned down a $39.95 million bond proposal -- once in February and again in April. This time around, district officials are running a pared-down version -- a $30.5 million bond to replace Selah Junior High School and make some improvements at other facilities.
The Naches Valley School District is running a $19.8 million bond to replace its existing primary and intermediate schools with a single K-4 school.
Voter turnout for Yakima County is expected to be 40 percent to 45 percent, according to Kathy Fisher, head of the county's Elections Division.
About 85 percent of the county's registered voters -- 86,177 to be exact -- received a ballot. As of Friday afternoon, 32 percent of the mailed ballots -- or 27,804 -- had been returned.
In Kittitas County, 34 percent of mailed ballots had been returned by Friday. Election officials there expect turnout to be as high as 50 percent.
Ballots must be postmarked by Tuesday. Drop boxes will also be available in Yakima and Sunnyside until 8 p.m. on election day.
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