FORKS — A bond to rebuild portions of the 1925 Forks High School was leading by a sliver, and a two-year maintenance and operations levy was passing by a large margin on Tuesday as the first results of the two-proposition special election for Quillayute Valley School District were tallied.
The $11 million bond, which requires a 60 percent supermajority approval to pass, was edging ahead with 60.86 percent, or 863 votes, in favor and 39.14 percent, or 555 votes, opposed.
Shrieks of excitement filled Superintendent Diana Reaume’s office as the numbers were announced.
“We are on pins and needles,” Reaume said. “We knew this would be a nail-biter.”
The two-year $570,000 levy was passing with 68.55 percent, or 970 votes, in favor, and 31.45 percent, or 445 votes opposed.
“Oh my goodness, I’m very excited,” Reaume said. “This is good news so far. So I hope that this trend continues as the rest of the ballots are tallied.”
In both Clallam and Jefferson counties, 1,418 votes were counted in the bond election. In both counties 1,415 votes were counted for the levy. The total number of ballots returned was 1,419, with four not voting on the levy and one not voting on the bond.
Clallam County Auditor Patty Rosand predicted that about another 200 ballots would come in before the election is certified on Feb. 18.
“The levy results will probably hold, but the bond we’ll have to watch, because it is only passing by about half a percent,” Rosand said.
Bond failed before
The bond, which is proposed to replace a portion of the 1925 Forks High School building, failed to pass in the November general election, with only about 52 percent voter approval out of the 60 percent needed.
The bond could be matched by about $7 million in state funds, Reaume said.
The $11 million bond rate would be about $1.18 per $1,000 assessed valuation. That means the owner of a $200,000 home would pay about $236 annually in property taxes.
The majority of the school district lies within Clallam County, where the bond received 60.51 percent, or 826 votes, in favor and 39.49 percent, or 539 votes, against.
In Jefferson County, the bond received 69.81 percent, or 37 votes, in favor and 30.19 percent, or 16 votes, against.
Levy replacement
The levy would replace the four-year levy that expires at the end of the year, and the school board voted in December not to ask for an increase in levy taxes to be collected.
The levy required a simple majority, or 50 percent plus one, to pass.
In Clallam County, the levy had 68.28 percent, or 930 votes, in favor and 31.72, or 432 votes, against.
In Jefferson County, the levy was passing with 75.47 percent, or 40 votes, in favor and 24.53 percent, or 13 votes, against.
“The committee did a great job for us,” Reaume said.
The levy will set property tax rates at $1.16 per $1,000 assessed valuation. That means the owner of a $200,000 home would pay about $232 annually in property taxes.
Remaining ballots will be counted in both counties today — at noon in Jefferson County and by 4:30 p.m. in Clallam County.
Clallam County had three ballots on hand at the courthouse and had not yet picked up the ballot box from Forks, so it was unknown how many people had dropped off their last-minute ballots there, Rosand said.
__________
Reporter Paige Dickerson can be reached at 360-417-3535 or at paige.dickerson@peninsuladailynews.com.
