Updated election results from Wednesday, April 24, show both the Battle Ground and Hockinson school district levy proposals continue to trail as more ballots are counted in the April 22 special election.
Both districts returned to voters after similar propositions failed during the February special election.
As of Thursday, 37,391 ballots had been counted, with an estimated 200 still awaiting tallying. Final results will be certified on May 2.
Battle Ground School District No. 119
Proposition No. 9 — Educational Programs and Operations Replacement Levy
The latest tally shows the levy with 11,547 votes in favor and 12,020 opposed, or 49% yes to 51% no. The measure would replace an expiring levy and fund staffing, safety, mental health services, special education, extracurriculars and more.
If approved, it would collect $38.3 million in 2026, increasing to nearly $45 million by 2029, with an estimated tax rate of $1.95 per $1,000 of assessed property value.
This marks the second time this year voters rejected a similar levy. In February, the measure failed by just 60 votes.
Superintendent Denny Waters expressed disappointment following the updated count.
“Based on today’s second count, it seems almost certain that the levy will fail,” Waters said. “Our district has the lowest school tax in all of Southwest Washington and we were still not able to pass this levy. It is frustrating that we have found ourselves in the middle of a heated political debate. All we want to do is to serve kids and help them be successful.”
Waters said the district now faces $20 million in cuts, affecting staffing, programs and operations across the board.
“Approximately 200 employees will be cut and many programs will be affected,” he said. “While it certainly won't be good for schools, I think the impact of these cuts will also be bad for our entire community.”
The district will not be able to return to voters with another levy this year.
“By law, you are only allowed to run a levy twice in one year,” Waters said. “Once you lose the second time, it becomes what is known as a ‘double levy failure,’ which means the district has to go without an operational levy for at least one calendar year.”
Waters added that while staff remain committed to student success, the impact of the funding loss will be “significant and long-lasting.”
Hockinson School District No. 98
Proposition No. 10 — Capital Levy for Safety, Security and Infrastructure Improvements
Hockinson’s proposed capital levy remains behind, with 1,453 votes in favor and 1,742 opposed, or 45.48% yes to 54.52% no.
The measure would raise nearly $13.2 million over six years to fund projects like secure entryways, emergency communications, and other safety and infrastructure improvements. The tax rate would start at $0.66 per $1,000 of assessed value.
It follows a failed $87.75 million bond measure from February that aimed to build a new elementary school and renovate existing facilities. That bond received 46.92% of the vote.
As of press time, Hockinson School District officials had not issued a statement on the updated results.
Ballots will continue to be counted until the May 2 certification. Voters can find ongoing updates and detailed results at clark.wa.gov/elections.
