Battle Ground Public Schools Superintendent Mark Ross visits second-grade teacher Katherine Simko’s class at Maple Grove Primary School.
The first count of ballots for the February 2021 special election are in, and a replacement levy for Battle Ground Public Schools is trailing in approval votes in the first numbers.
The first count of the election released shortly after 8 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 9 has the levy with about 46.7 percent “yes” votes for passage, 1,165 votes fewer than those opposing the levy. The ballot measure requires a simple majority to pass.
Clark County Elections estimates that there are 5,000 ballots left to count countywide, though there are also ballot measures for residents of the Camas School District, alongside BGPS. The next count is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 10, according to the Clark County Elections website.
If approved, the BGPS levy would collect from about $24.9 million in 2022 to roughly $31.6 million in 2025, according to the official ballot measure submitted to Clark County Elections. The levy, if passed, is projected to have a property tax rate of $1.95 per $1,000 assessed value in 2022 and $2.20 per $1,000 in the subsequent three years. Currently the property tax levy that the ballot measure would replace is at $2.50 per $1,000 of assessed value.
This story will be updated
