One Benton County school levy is now passing by 29 votes. But 2 others are still failing
Prosser School District’s operations levy is now passing by 29 votes after an additional 636 ballots were counted on Thursday.
The measure was failing on election night with 52% disapproval.
Now, the “yays” are holding a slim 50.6% of the vote.
All ballots on hand have been counted but any that arrive by mail in the next few days postmarked by election day will be counted.
The April 26 election is set to be certified on Friday, May 6.
Prosser’s levy will tax $2.13 on every $1,000 of assessed property value in the district. It’s the same rate as the current levy, which is set to expire at the end of 2022.
The levy is expected to collect $3.78 million next year and $3.89 million in 2024. The annual tax bill on a home valued at $350,000 would be about $745.
Though their margins of failure shrank after Thursday, Kennewick and Finley’s levies are still failing. Both have proposed rates higher than the ones they’re replacing.
- Kennewick’s is failing with 8,141 votes against, or about 51.2%, and 7,750 votes in favor, or about 47.8%.
- Finley’s is failing with 425 votes against, or about 52.7%, and 381 votes in favor, or about 47.3%.
Those districts that don’t have their levies passed will need to trim next school year’s budget. Those discussions between staff and school boards are expected to begin in the coming weeks.
Local levy funding, as well as the state matching dollars that come along with them, makes up about 11% of the Kennewick School District’s funding.
The district serves about 18,700 students, and is the largest employer in the city.
Finley School District is expecting to cut about $1.7 million next school year in funding.
These levies help school districts fill the gap between what Washington state pays for and what is needed to operate successfully. The measures are different from bond initiatives, which pay for school construction and renovation.
This story was originally published April 28, 2022 at 7:18 PM.
