Hockinson High School Assistant Principal and Athletics Director Josh Johnson the moment he discovered one of Hockinson's levies was ahead by 17 votes, at Cedars On Salmon Creek, April 23.
The first round of results for the April special election has the Ridgefield School District coming out on top for a three-year enhancement levy.
Hockinson School District’s results were more mixed, with its own enhancement levy looking to pass by fewer than 20 votes while its capital levy looks going toward defeat.
According to results released the night of the April 23 deadline, Ridgefield’s enhancement levy of the maximum $1.50 per $1,000 of assessed value, was passing with about 56.2 percent of the vote, or 2,546 votes for with 1,983 against.
Hockinson’s enhancement levy, also to be at the recently-capped maximum of $1.50 per $1,000, had only 17 more votes for the tax than against, with 1,353 in favor and 1,336 not.
The district’s capital levy that would benefit technology and other school improvements had more definitive votes as of the first count, though not in favor of the measure. About 47.7 percent of voters were for the tax while about 52.3 percent were not. That levy would likely fluctuate through its three-year run had it passed, going from 45 to 36 cents per $1,000 of assessed value, according to district information.
Both of the enhancement levies would replace current taxes in both districts that, for taxes payable this year, were capped at the $1.50 per $1,000 following changes in state-level school funding.
According to information from Clark County Elections, the next count of ballots is scheduled for April 24 at noon. It noted that 7,224 ballots had been counted countywide, or about 37.6 percent of registered voters in districts with ballot measures for the April election. About 1,200 ballots countywide were estimated left to count.
