School bonds failing, most levies passing

JOSIE LIMING | JOSIE LIMING THE BELLINGHAM HERALD

| JOSIE LIMING THE BELLINGHAM HERALD

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• ELECTION RESULTS
  Here are the preliminary results of bond and levy issues in Tuesday's special election, with 31,066 ballots counted out of 104,490 sent out to Whatcom County voters as of 8:45 p.m.
  •Winner
  BELLINGHAM SCHOOL DISTRICT
  Four-year maintenance and operations levy
  •Yes 9,503
  No 5,063
  Four-year technology levy
  •Yes 9,754
  No 4,761
  BLAINE SCHOOL DISTRICT
  $40 million bond*
  Yes 1,566
  No 1,388
  Four-year maintenance and operations levy
  •Yes 1,811
  No 1,172
  FERNDALE SCHOOL DISTRICT
  $21 million bond*
  Yes 2,496
  No 2,097
  Six-year technology levy
  •Yes 2,346
  No 2,243
  LYNDEN SCHOOL DISTRICT
  $4 million bond*
  Yes 1,513
  •No 1,578
  Two-year maintenance and operations levy
  •Yes 1,595
  No 1,530
  MERIDIAN SCHOOL DISTRICT
  $23 million bond*
  Yes 930
  •No 968
  Four-year maintenance and operations levy
  •Yes 1,077
  No 832
  MOUNT BAKER SCHOOL DISTRICT
  Four-year maintenance and operations levy
  Yes 1,137
  •No 1,186
  NOOKSACK SCHOOL DISTRICT
  Four-year maintenance and operations levy
  •Yes 814
  No 593
  
  * These items require at least 60 percent approval to pass.
  
  UPDATED RESULTS
  Check TheBellinghamHerald.com after 5 p.m. today for updated results from Tuesday’s special schools election.
  
  

As of Tuesday, 38,456 ballots had been returned, out of 104,490 sent to Whatcom County voters, a turnout rate of about 37 percent. Only 31,066 ballots were counted for Tuesday’s results.

The next results update will be about 5 p.m. today.

MERIDIAN

Meridian School District Superintendent Tim Yeomans said even though the district’s $23 million bond to renovate Meridian High School probably won’t pass, he’s pleased the voters showed support for the levy.

“In regard to the bond, we’re disappointed but not dissuaded,” he said after seeing results posted at the Whatcom County Courthouse. “We understand it’s tough times for folks and understand things are tight. … Our very best effort was what we put forth.”

Meridian’s four-year maintenance and operations levy, which is used to fund day-to-day operations of the district, will bring in about $2.5 million each year and will cost homeowners in 2009 about $2.54 per $1,000 of a home’s assessed value.

MOUNT BAKER

The Mount Baker School District’s maintenance and operations levy, which makes up about 20 percent of the district’s budget, may still pass if there are enough uncounted ballots waiting. The four-year levy request would replace the current levy that will expire at the end of the year.

This is the second time the district could see a levy fail in the last eight years. A two-year maintenance and operations levy went to voters twice in 2000 before passing.

Before the election, Superintendent Richard Gantman said if the levy request failed, the district would take the measure to voters again this spring.

BLAINE

The Blaine School District’s maintenance and operations levy was passing with about 61 percent voter approval. The $40 million bond proposal, which included $30 million to renovate Blaine High School, was about 7 percent shy of meeting the 60 percent approval needed.

If the bond isn’t approved, the combined tax rate for all school district taxes, including the $19 million bond passed in 2001, would be about $2.06 per $1,000 of a home’s assessed value.

FERNDALE

Ferndale School District’s six-year technology levy was passing with just over 51 percent approval, but the $21 million bond proposal was about 6 percent shy of approval. The bond was going to be used to update several areas of the district, including Custer and North Bellingham elementary schools.

If the bond fails, homeowners will pay about $4.17 per $1,000 of a home’s assessed value.

LYNDEN

The Lynden School District’s maintenance and operations levy was passing Tuesday night with about 51 percent voter approval, but the $4 million bond was failing with 51 percent of voters against the proposal. The bond would have paid off a temporary loan used to purchase land last year for future middle and elementary schools.

If the bond doesn’t pass, the projected tax rate for 2009 would be $2.55 per $1,000 of a home’s assessed value.

NOOKSACK VALLEY

The Nooksack Valley School District’s only ballot item, a four-year maintenance and operations levy renewal, was passing Tuesday night with about 58 percent voter approval.

The estimated combined tax rate for all school district taxes, including the $9.8 million bond passed in 1997, will be about $5 per $1,000 of a home’s assessed value.

BELLINGHAM

Both Bellingham School District’s maintenance and operations levy and technology levy were passing with more than 65 percent approval. The estimated combined tax rate for all school district taxes, including the $67 million bond passed in 2006, will be about $3.27 per $1,000 of a home’s assessed value.

Both levies will replace ones that are expiring at the end of this year.