Washington Voters Approve All But 5 School Levies On Ballot

SEATTLE -- Washington voters have approved all but five school levies on the ballot this winter.

They voted in favor of 152 school levies, for a total of $2.6 billion in taxes to support education. About half the state's school districts didn't have a levy on the ballot.

Levies failed to get enough votes in the Deer Park, Eatonville, Lyle, Riverside and West Valley Yakima school districts.

The League of Education Voters, which added up the levy dollars, says this year's successes are largely due to the four-year-old simple majority rule, which eliminated the requirement to get 60 percent of the vote to pass a school levy.

About a third of the school districts that passed a levy this February had more than 50 percent, but did not reach the 60 percent threshold.

Comments

[Hlynn]

04:57 PM on 03/04/2012

Simple majority was a good change for our state and makes sense.

But in our district the successful levies votes also has to do with the relationships with families, our history of working well with the administration during contract negotiations, and many of the school staff were once students in the district. We also went door to door on a cold, snowy day for hours and waved signs on corners for hours reminding people to vote, and to remind people that these were replacement levies, so taxes would stay the same and not go up and also to remind them of all the programs they supported for the children in the district. We got many assurances from residents that they would vote for the levies and they came through for us. Then we stood on corners for hours to wave signs to thank the voters for supporting our district. And our district did get over 60% yes votes.

The districts where levies didn't pass have another chance to rally voters' support, and if they don't support the schools then those people will be losing many programs and staff at those schools for students in their districts.

[El Chingaso]

06:57 AM on 03/04/2012

Hoodwinked in WA, baby. I'd like to be up there when those tax bills get opened. One laugh after another...

[eceresa]

03:02 PM on 03/04/2012

"Hoodwinked" is what you call it when (apparently) informed people vote their best interest?

[djo2013]

06:50 PM on 03/04/2012

So the majority of voters were tricked into voting yes? They had no idea that their vote would affect their tax bills? I think it's El Chingaso who's been hoodwinked.

[Dan Crabtree]

12:42 PM on 03/03/2012

Oh good hope the teachers got that two weeks paid vacation in the tropics they wanted.as well..and now they work only six months out of the year. ahhhh democtats..

[SlinkyTWF]

12:55 AM on 03/04/2012

BS. Teachers work harder than your sorry posterior every will.

[El Chingaso]

06:55 AM on 03/04/2012

Sincerely doubt that...

[djo2013]

04:35 PM on 03/04/2012

Making stuff up to express a point just makes one look foolish.

[mdshughey]

10:29 AM on 03/03/2012

they broke the laws, all taxes are to get a 2/3 approval. How about cutting your pensions instead of bleeding your citizens. This is going to hurt the local economy.

[2005jimmy]

12:02 PM on 03/03/2012

And of course the voter was/is too dumb to be aware of the issue you present. Or it could be that their kids education is more important right now and they will deal with the other issue over time.

[Hlynn]

04:59 PM on 03/04/2012

No, they didn't. The majority vote was put on the ballot and it passed. People know that the 60% requirement was unfair and it was changed by democratic process.

[J R M]

02:04 AM on 03/03/2012

I live in Washington, in one of the distant suburbs of Seattle. Not only have we voted to increase the school taxes to keep the schools here excellent, we also provided money to keep the libraries running well. They too are excellent - and very heavily used.

It is an educated area that values its education and is willing to pay for it. I got a good education when I was in school 45+ years ago, but my kids are getting a better education than I did.

[2005jimmy]

12:06 PM on 03/03/2012

I hope the whatever voted in also included text stating the increase in tax dollars will be used for nothing but education. Too many times the money goes into the general fund and the result is the money voted in for a specific cause does not always get used 100% for that cause.

[djo2013]

04:38 PM on 03/04/2012

In WA, the law ensures that ed money goes to schools. It's carefully monitored.

[mlaiuppa]

03:24 AM on 03/05/2012

I'm glad to hear you're supporting your libraries.

Locally ours are being cut.

And almost all of our school librarians are gone, so school libraries closing too.

[LenR]

09:51 PM on 03/02/2012

i guess Washingtonians decided that all things being equal they didn't want their children to be unemployable losers. So much for Rick Santorum's conviction that schooling should be left to the families and no one else, even if that means non of them can hold a job or serve as a competent citizen.

[Michael Steaphens]

12:45 AM on 03/03/2012

"...they didn't want their children to be unemployable losers." Which is what they may end up with anyway with our deplorable government schools.

[2005jimmy]

11:15 AM on 03/03/2012

Anyone that wants to learn a particular skill does not have to go to school. It is likely there are plenty of adults that can help them learn. The most important thing a school presents is a document of achievement which in most cases cannot be acquired any other way than attending school. Bad mouthing schools is just another form of trying to pull people down because if a person wants to learn, there is more information available to anyone than there has been any time in history. The one thing a parent can do is help the child hook up with those people of skill. Not to say that one can just click a few spots on a computer as it may take some research but the smart people are out there and most would be willing to help. One thing to keep in mind is that Steve Jobs did very well will little formal education but that does not mean he was not educated.

[eceresa]

03:05 PM on 03/04/2012

Everyone I've ever seen use the term "government schools" was biased and misinformed. It's like a flashing neon sign saying "I don't know what I'm talking about."

Under this, you claim that charter schools and private schools do a better job. That's one of the places where you're wrong. Charters do a worse job. Private schools serve a very different student body, so your ignorance is more forgivable there, but when studies have tried to control for student demographics, they've found that public schools outperformed privates as well as charters.

[mrtimmaulden]

07:25 PM on 03/02/2012

What was the vote tally on the "transvaginal probes" referendum?

[ltricky]

07:53 PM on 03/02/2012

didn;t you hear?? everyone in the middle class zone are getting one regardless of sex!!!

[mrtimmaulden]

08:41 PM on 03/02/2012

I thought that was a "proctological" probe !!!

[mlp7595]

06:05 PM on 03/02/2012

keep stealing that taxpayer money and it will run out and then ZERO public school miseducation

[primo de rivera]

08:38 PM on 03/02/2012

They voted to pay up,so.... Just as long as my taxes don't go up/

[Michael Steaphens]

12:47 AM on 03/03/2012

That's right.And that's why whenever we have local votes to raise property taxes,I always vote no.

[westytx]

05:56 PM on 03/02/2012

Notice how Republicans will all comment on how this is wasted money for the education of American school kids, but still stand by their support of George WMD Bush spending $1 Trillion on Iraqi Purple Fingers.

And now those purple Iraqi fingers are proudly showing us the middle finger.

Republicans- incompetent AND irrelevant.

[ltricky]

07:58 PM on 03/02/2012

hate to be about the facts but both pubs and dems voted to blow all that money! AND its still going on my friend!
Incompetent: barney fwaank saying fannie /freddie were mint! Hmm 200 billion and counting(asked for 5 billion today to cover this quarters losses) on and on and on there is plenty of blame to go around

[westytx]

12:01 AM on 03/03/2012

Somehow, it STILL doesn't speak well about GOP leadership if the ENTIRE MAJORITY REPUBLICAN LEADERSHIP (Bush in the White House, Hassert in the House, Frist in the Senate) couldn't stop ONE gay House member with a lisp from causing the ENTIRE banking meltdown throughout the world resulting in a global recession.

Blame to go around, yes. But it was the GOP idelology forced throughRepublican majority partisan legislation from 1996-2006 that created the repeal laws setting up the banking and financial meltdown. Try researching Phill Gramm (R-Tx) with his midnight amendments in 1999 and again in 2002 that created 2BIG2Fail by repealing Glass-Stegal Act. Fannie/Freddie Mac were victims...not co-horts...of Wall Street.

[dannarasm]

07:59 PM on 03/02/2012

It is a waste of money because the money doesn't actually go to the education of American school kids, rather go to pay wages and pensions including healthcare costs for teachers and school administrators plus the increase in the monthly dues paid to the union [as a % of salary].

[watcherback]

08:58 PM on 03/02/2012

So when money goes to pay wages and retirement benefits for teachers the money isn't paying for children's education? How do you propose students get taught if you refuse to pay for teachers to do it? You think teachers shouldn't get paid to teach your children? How cheap are you that you would rather your child be taught by slave labor?

[westytx]

11:55 PM on 03/02/2012

Oh, I see. American tax dollars are WASTED when they are spent on Americans here in America. No American tax dollars should be INVESTED in America.

Republicans only believe American tax dollars should be INVESTED (to the tune of $1 TRILLION **for the GOP math impaired, that is one thousand millions of dollars**) in Muslim people with purple fingers.

Is that what "patriotism" is really all about in the GOP party?

[scalopusego]

05:55 PM on 03/02/2012

Teachers are way over paid already. Increases in levies is a waste of money.

[pozboys]

06:19 PM on 03/02/2012

They were if they were teaching ingrates like yourself!!!

[ltricky]

07:58 PM on 03/02/2012

oops must be a teacher

[DK111]

06:40 PM on 03/02/2012

You under achievers blame everyone but yourselves. Did it ever occur to you that you could have worked harder in school and not be so resentful?

[cruisedoc]

05:51 PM on 03/02/2012

Throwing more money at educ will not make it better, or students more motivated.

[RiverWalker]

07:39 PM on 03/02/2012

Apparently Wasington State voters disagree with you!!!

[ltricky]

08:01 PM on 03/02/2012

right lets see where the money is coming from!

[Ed whowannaknow]

08:03 PM on 03/02/2012

so lets just keep cramming them in overcrowded classes, in rotting schools, with ancient books, and hope for the best eh?

[primo de rivera]

08:53 PM on 03/02/2012

Most of us did....and two of us wer M.I.T. "48. A couple of others had to go to Columbia and Cornell.

[cruisedoc]

05:44 PM on 03/02/2012

Now watch the mecca OUT of Wa. Hey, Wa., no more govt bail-outs ....did you hear?

[jmarlins1]

05:40 PM on 03/02/2012

Don't worry, Washington West if you can't pay for your new levies. Washington East will print more worthless paper to pay for your "wanna haves". Stop worrying about the tab. Roll, National ATM, roll.

[DK111]

06:43 PM on 03/02/2012

Studies have shown that rural areas depend on urban areas for tax money. That is, you guys get more from Olympia than you pay in taxes. Get off your rear and start doing something. The real welfare state is in GOP districts. You can't live without government money.

[mrtimmaulden]

07:26 PM on 03/02/2012

Fanned.

[Michael Steaphens]

12:49 AM on 03/03/2012

Perhaps then this is a good argument for a fair or flat tax...?

[TEEEE]

04:07 PM on 03/04/2012

King county only receives $.62 back for every tax dollar they pay. Compare that to the money conservative counties in east get. Adams county $2.39, Ferry county $3.16, Lincoln county $2.76. But don't worry Eastern Washington you can keep running your mouth and we will still pay for you.

[djo2013]

07:02 PM on 03/04/2012

I loved it some years back when many in Eastern Washington suggested forming their own state. They could hear our cheers in Western WA clear over there. Bye bye, Eastern WA! We'll let you use our rails, highways, and ports to ship apples and wheat, but there'll be a bit of a surcharge.

[john201]

05:38 PM on 03/02/2012

To give a failing union/ democrat controlled system MORE money and expect any improvement improvement is completely idiotic.

[Tom Airhart]

08:16 PM on 03/02/2012

That's it? No reason why?

[john201]

11:59 PM on 03/02/2012

If you need a reason you are a non thinking victim of the union/democrat controlled K-112 system, a reacher or one of the 48% who pay no income tax.

[Middle Class Majority]

05:07 PM on 03/02/2012

Washington, the next state to face bankruptcy because it's citizens are gullible.

[jmarlins1]

05:41 PM on 03/02/2012

They get what they vote for.

[mrtimmaulden]

07:21 PM on 03/02/2012

Really? Is that your take or is there something factual top back that up?