Final election results

Voters in the Grapeview and Mary M. Knight school districts solidly passed two replacement levies in the Feb. 13 special election, and the Hood Canal School District's proposed $33.5-million building bond fell short of the 60% super majority.

Of the 44,481 registered voters in Mason County, 15,315 cast ballots for a turnout of 34.43%. The ballot results are scheduled to be certified Friday.

The proposition for Mason County to increase the sales and use tax by two-tenths of 1% to provide ongoing money to buy, design, equip, repair, operate and improve the 911 emergency communication services passed with 67.62%, with 10,340 voting "yes" and 4,951 voting "no."

The Hood Canal School District's $33.5-million building bond garnered 56.8%, short of the 60% required. The same bond proposal fell 45 votes short of passing in the November general election with 58.1%. The proposed collection would have been $1.05 per $1,000 of assessed property value, compared to $1.16 in the November request.

"We were able to generate more voter engagement in the process and are grateful for that," Edie Reclusado, chair of the Hood Canal School Board, wrote to the Journal following the first ballot count. "Needless to say, we are disappointed with the initial results; we believe we had a fiscally responsible request to voters to approve an early childhood learning center, a library addition with project space, a science lab for middle schoolers, appropriate music and art classrooms, ADA compliant playgrounds, and up-to-date safe transportation center in order to meet the needs of our students. Our needs are immediate and urgent. We will need to consider how best to meet the challenge."

Mary M. Knight's replacement levy passed with 55.33% of the vote with 223 "yes" votes and 180 "no" votes, which included 40 ballots cast in Grays Harbor County. District voters chose to replace an expiring educational programs and operations levy that was approved by voters in 2022.

Passage of the levy by a simple majority for 2024-26 will raise more than $2.5 million. The replacement levy will collect $730,500 in 2025 and $818,200 in 2026. The district is also eligible for more than $1 million in state-funded levy equalization money.

The current levy rate for 2022 through 2024 is $2.33 per $1,000 of assessed home value. The new rate drops to $2.08 per $1,000.

The Grapeview School District's levy passed with 62.84% of the vote with 690 "yes" votes and 408 "no" votes. District voters replaced an expiring levy that will tax property at 63 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value, the same as the levy that is expiring. The levy will collect $946,724 in 2025, $990,095 in 2026, $1,024,570 in 2027 and $1,042,216 in 2028.

The local levy tax pays for 20% of the district's budget. The rest comes from the state (66%), the federal government (13%) and local money that is not tax (1%).

The levy dollars help pay for curriculum materials, library and art programs, intervention services, the health and fitness program, technology, sports, field trips and afterschool programs and to maintain class sizes. It also helps pay to maintain facilities, safety and security, food and transportation services, and payments to the North Mason and Shelton school districts to educate their students beyond the eighth grade.

In an email to the Journal following the first ballot count, Superintendent Gerry Grubbs said he was "greatly relieved" by the results.

"The difference between a good school and a great school is community support and engagement," he wrote. "Yesterday, the Grapeview community continued their great tradition of being strong supporters of our great little school, for which we are extremely grateful."

The McCleary School District's proposed two-year replacement levy passed with 68.75% of the vote, including 16 ballots cast in Mason County. The Elma School District's proposed two-year replacement levy passed with 55.71%, including 107 votes cast in Mason County. The Mason County voters cast 42 "yes" votes and 65 "no" votes.