League of Education Voters School Levy and Bond Library

This blog post is by Kelly Munn, LEV’s State Field Director.

It’s bond and levy campaign season again! Are you new to this? Trying to get your head around how to run a campaign? Worried about the economic climate? Want to learn how to use social media?

There are two excellent trainings available to you. These trainings are designed for campaign committees or individuals from committees to learn how to run a successful campaigns.

I’ve been going to these trainings for ten years, and I have found them valuable every single time.

Seattle-Northwest Securities Corporation and the Washington School Public Relations Association are sponsoring a one-day workshop on school bond and capital levy planning.

If you’re a superintendent, principal, school public relations professional, school board member or campaign committee volunteer, you should attend this FREE conference.

Thursday, September 15, 2011
8:30am – 2:00pm
Registration begins at 8:00am

Shoreline Conference Center
18560 1st Ave. NE
Shoreline, WA 98155

Keynote speakers include:

• Tom Eiland, CFM Research,presenting 2011 voter survey results
• Dick Davis, Washington Research Council, providing timely economic data and forecasts
• Cathy Allen, The Connections Group,discussing election communication and campaign strategies

Break-out sessions include:

• Bond and capital levy planning
• Building a campaign around different demographic groups
• Steps to creating a campaign
• Using social media to build relationships with key supporters

Click here to register for the conference.

Parents and community members in the Snoqualmie Valley School District came through in a big way when they heard that the school bond was failing by one vote.

The final election results posted Feb. 23rd showed the bond received 5,972 approval votes (59.99%) out of 9,955 cast in the election. Just one vote was needed to receive the 60 percent supermajority required to pass a school bond.

The Snoqualmie Valley Star reported that the community responded within hours. A local parent setup a Facebook page to help raise money to pay for a recount in the election. A $2,650 check was hand-delivered to King County Elections the next day.

The hand-recount of the election is scheduled to begin this Thursday and the results released the following day.

At stake is more classroom space for a school district that is facing overcrowding. The 2010 Census numbers show Snoqualmie is the fastest growing city in our state, adding more than 9,000 residents in just 10 years (an increase of 550 percent).

Below is a list of February 8th election night returns for school levy and bond measures. All school levies are passing across the state, however a few are too close to call. School levies need a simple majority (50 percent plus one) approval of voters to pass.

Only a handful of the 18 bond measures across the state are passing. Bond measures need a 60 percent supermajority to pass.

Kids and schools in your community are counting on your YES vote. We urge you to please mail your ballot by next Tuesday, February 8th.

View a list of schools with levy and/or bond elections on February 8th below. Links are provided to your school district or levy/bond website for more information.

Watch your mailbox for your February 8th special election ballot. Many school districts will be running critical levy and bond votes on the ballot to pay for basic education costs and building improvements.

Here are the results based on initial returns for levy and bond elections across the state for the November 2, 2010 election. These numbers will continue to change as ballots are counted.

Maintenance and Operations Levies

• Bainbridge Island – passing with 60.6% yes votes
• Bellingham School District – passing with 58.2% yes votes
• Benge #122 – passing with 71.4% yes votes
• Seattle School District – passing with 63.8% yes votes

Bonds*

• South Whidbey School District – failing with 42% yes votes
• Colton #306 – failing with 52.1% yes votes
• Elma – failing with 49.9% yes votes
• Eastmont School District – passing with 57.6% yes votes

*School bond require a 60 percent supermajority to pass.

Capital Levies

• Monroe School District – failing with 39.8% yes votes
• Bainbridge Island – passing with 54.7% yes votes
• Griffin – passing with 50.8% yes votes

Encourage your friends and family to vote for kids and schools on your Nov. 2nd ballot. Although levies now require a simple majority vote, school bonds still need a 60 percent supermajority to pass.

Here are the school districts with levies and bonds on the ballot:

Maintenance and Operations Levies

• Bainbridge Island
• Bellingham School District
• Benge #122
• Seattle School District

Bonds

• South Whidbey School District
• Colton #306
• Elma
• Eastmont School District

Capital Levies

• Monroe School District
• Bainbridge Island
• Griffin

The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction has released unofficial results from the Aug. 17th primary election.

Maintenance and Operations Levies

• Edmonds SD – 54.14%
• Everett SD – 50.29%
• Granite Falls SD – 44.65%
• Marysville SD – 41.81%
• Northshore – 53.12%
• Ocean Beach – 51.09%
• Riverview – 51.04%

Bonds

• Orcas Island SD – 46.18%

State budget cuts have severely impacted public education. More and more, local school districts are relying on voter-approved levies to provide a basic education for their students.

Faced with teacher layoffs and rising costs, some school districts will ask voters to approve a supplemental levy this year. These school districts will have levies on the Aug. 17th Primary ballot.

• Edmonds SD
• Everett SD
• Granite Falls SD
• Marysville SD
• Northshore
• Ocean Beach
• Riverview