While support has dropped compared to 2018, voters still viewing investments in schools as essential
WEST PLAINS — Cheney and Medical Lake school districts’ Educational Programs and Operations levies were passing with comfortable majorities on Tuesday night — but not quite as comfortable as similar levies three years ago.
According to Feb. 9 special election results from the Spokane County Elections Department, Cheney Public Schools’ Proposition 1 EP&O levy was passing with a 55.21 % yes vote, while Proposition 2, a Capital Facilities Levy, was receiving 57.68 % of the vote. In Medical Lake, Proposition 1 was ahead by a 56.33 % – 43.67 % margin.
By comparison, Cheney’s levy in 2018 passed with a 61.1 % yes vote while Medical Lake’s received 63.75 % approval.
“That was a good result for us, 56.33 %, that’s pretty awesome for us,” ML Superintendent Tim Ames said Tuesday night.
Cheney Superintendent Rob Roettger said levies this year “just felt different” given all that has transpired from the instructional and economic impacts of COVID-19 to a bitter presidential election. Still, support for the district’s needs showed itself in voters from Cheney to Airway Heights.
“We’re blessed to have the support we have,” Roettger said Tuesday night.
Cheney’s replacement EP&O levy sets a rate of $1.65 per $1,000 of assessed property values while the Capital Facilities levy sets a rate of 10 cents per $1,000 of APV. Both three-year levies begin collecting tax amounts in 2022.
The new rate of $1.75 per $1,000 of APV will generate $9.2 million in 2022, $9.835 million in 2023 and $10.455 million in 2024, with most of those totals coming from the EP&O levy.
The levy pays for 11 % of Cheney School’s annual budget, $88.77 million in 2020-2021, while the state covers the rest using its “prototypical schools model” formula.
Under the prototypical model for Cheney’s district, the state paid for 289.98 certificated staff in the 2019-2020 school year. According to information from the district, Cheney employs 368.13 certificated staff.
The EP&O levy also covers above prototypical school model needs like custodians, paraeducators, school counselors and other staff along with programs such as extra-curricular activities and gaps in nutrition services and transportation funding. The Capital Facilities levy is designed to address the district’s ongoing technology replacement issues as well as possible land purchases to meet transportation needs.
Medical Lake’s levy is also an extension of the three-year measure voters approved in 2018 and replicates the $1.50 per $1,000 of APV. It puts in place seamless funding to carry on past the sunsetting of the current levy.
For Medical Lake, levy passage means the collection of $1.5 million from residents will be matched with a likewise amount from “levy equalization assessment” or LEA. LEA monies come from the state and cover budgets affected by lack of property tax generators in cities such as Medical Lake where almost half of the available land is taken up by state facilities to don’t pay property taxes.
With levy approval, for Medical Lake that is $1.5 million in matching funds — $3 million total — or 11.5% their overall $26 million yearly budget.
Like other districts, Medical Lake had trepidation about possible fallout on the levy from COVID-19. Ames said his staff took a historic look at levies impacted by another economic crisis.
“We looked at trends over the last three levies, one year we had like 70 (percent), and then the recession hit and it went about 65, 63, so 56 is a good outcome considering given the economic status,” Ames said.
Overall turnout for the Feb. 9 election was 35.96 %, a slight decrease from 2018’s 36.62%. In the Cheney district, 28.22 % of registered voters turned out while in Medical Lake, 29.89 % voted.
While turnout was low, Roettger said Cheney’s election is enough for district officials to begin future budget planning. While a more aggressive campaign was waged by levy opponents this time, Roettger was not disparaging of their efforts, noting people contacted officials with a lot of questions.
“I think that’s a positive thing when people reach out and ask questions,” he added.
The Feb. 9 special election is not official until certified on Feb. 19.
Staff contributor Paul Delaney assisted with this story.
John McCallum can be reached at [email protected].
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