The special elections held across Washington ended Tuesday, Feb. 12.
In Pierce County, both Tacoma School District and Puyallup School District put forth propositions for voters.
Proposition 1 for the Tacoma School District entailed a $500,000,000 bond measure that would allow the district to replace or renovate many Tacoma schools, as well as upgrade technology and health, safety and security systems. The latter ranges from improvements to electrical, heating and plumbing systems, as well as upgrades in earthquake safety and alarm systems.
In the Official Local Voters’ Pamphlet, Tacoma Citizens for Schools committee members Willie Stewart, Dan Barkley, and Kathleen Merryman submitted a Statement For Proposition 1, which identifies the greater cause that the proposition would serve: “Every Tacoma child deserves an excellent education, the opportunity to achieve his or her full potential, and the best possible environment for learning and teaching.”
Stewart, Barkley and Merryman also stated the importance of acting soon to upgrade schools in the district. “The longer we wait, the more deterioration and higher costs in the future. Historically low rates will afford needed investments in nearly all neighborhood schools.”
The Tacoma School District Proposition 1 was supported by many community organizations, including the Tacoma/Pierce County Chamber of Commerce, the League of Women Voters, Boys and Girls Clubs, Firefighters, Tacoma Education and Principals’ Associations and a number of other organizations.
The Puyallup School District proposition, also named Proposition 1, aimed to replace or remodel a number of schools and make upgrades to technology offered at schools through a $279,600,000 bond measure.
Greg Heath of the Citizens Committee for Education submitted a Statement Forthe Proposition 1 for the Puyallup district schools in the Puyallup district Official Local Voters’ Pamphlet, in which he asserted the necessity of upgrades.
“The Bond Measure will provide essential replacements, expansions, improvements and renovations to keep aging schools maintained for student use,” Heath said.
In addition to responding to a more immediate need, the upgrades enabled by the Puyallup Proposition 1 would prepare schools for changes in the future. “Schools are overcrowded and growth is projected to continue over the next 12 years, especially at the elementary and high school levels,” Heath noted.
Andy Asmussen of Puyallup Voters Against High Taxes countered Heath’s projection in the Statement Against Proposition 1 issued in the Official Local Voters’ Pamphlet.
“It is already a given that the district expects a 230 student decline in the upcoming 2013-2014 school year. That current and expected decline in students should be a harbinger of caution when it comes to large financial outlays for building new schools,” the pamphlets stated.
Both propositions needed to exceed a set minimum number of total votes (35,773 for the Tacoma proposition and 22,588 for the Puyallup proposition), as well as achieve a supermajority of 60 percent to pass.
Though both the Tacoma and Puyallup propositions received a sufficient number of total votes (39,505 in the Tacoma District and 26,453 in the Puyallup District), only the Tacoma School District proposition passed. The Tacoma proposition held a majority of 70.71 percent, while the Puyallup proposition fell short of the supermajority with 55.49 percent in favor of the proposition.
Leaders of the Puyallup School District are considering putting forth a bond proposition in the spring elections.
According to the League of Education Voters, Washington voters passed 98 percent of local levies, meaning that $1.7 billion will go towards schools as a result of the special elections. Although the Puyallup School District proposition did not pass, the outcome of the special elections shows an overwhelming support for schools among Washington voters.