PORT TOWNSEND — The Port Townsend School District is making plans for future construction while the Chimacum School Board is meeting to decide what to do next after their bond proposals met different fates.
Following its decisive victory in Tuesday’s special election, in which it won 73.23 percent approval for a $40.9 million construction bond, the Port Townsend School District will enter the planning process for the construction of a new elementary school.
The Chimacum School Board, faced with the apparent failure of its $29.1 million construction bond, was scheduled to meet to plan its future.
“I spent this morning preparing charts about our options and timelines,” Chimacum Schools Superintendent Rick Thompson said Wednesday.
“It would be premature for me to say anything now because the board needs to hear about these options.”
Voters in the Port Townsend School District approved a $40,977,588 measure by a healthy margin, while supporters of a Chimacum bond fell 2 percentage points below its goal.
After a second count Wednesday, the Jefferson County auditor reported the Port Townsend bond was approved with 4,830 votes, or 73.23 percent, supporting it and 1,766 votes, or 26.77 percent, in opposition.
A property tax rate of $1.24 per $1,000 assessed value is expected to be required for 20 years to finance the bond.
Property owners are now paying 54 cents per $1,000 assessed value for a capital improvements levy that will be retired in 2016.
Proponents say that means the new measure will result in a net increase for capital improvements of 70 cents per $1,000 assessed value.
Chimacum had requested a $29.1 million bond that would have financed the expansion of Chimacum Creek Primary School, with the rest earmarked for upgrades of technology, heating and electrical, and the construction of an all-weather track at the school district’s main campus.
Wednesday totals showed the proposed Chimacum School District bond was approved by 2,710 voters, or 57.97 percent, and opposed by 1,965 voters or 42.03 percent.
That brought the district short of the 60 percent supermajority needed to approve the bond measure.
Both the Port Townsend and Chimacum districts were intending to use the bulk of their bond measures for the construction or renovation of an elementary school, with the remainder used for facilities improvements.
“This was a good proposal that had a lot of value and the timing was right,” said Jeff Randall, who headed an effort in support of the Port Townsend bond that is to fund the construction of a new elementary school.
“But the process is just beginning. We need to design the building and make it as transparent as possible so the community has a say in what kind of school it will be.”
The Chimacum defeat was a surprise and saddened supporters, who had crafted the measure after taking public input.
“I’m disappointed. We really need this for our kids,” said Stephanie McCleary, Chimacum Schools human resources director, whose name is on a state Supreme Court ruling that mandates adequate school financing.
The district sponsored a similar resolution in February 2015 that earned 52 percent of the vote.
Supporters of the measure saw this election’s 57.9 percent approval total as cause for optimism.
“This will give us the strength to keep on going until we get the support of the community,” said Whitney Meissner, the high school’s principal.
“The elementary school needs a new building, and I don’t know what we can do to let the community and the voters know that the old one needs to be replaced.”
After the defeat of the 2015 bond proposal, the Chimacum Schools administration announced the intention to go back to the voters as soon as possible but took a year to create a measure designed to get voter approval.
Campaign chair Ted Friedrich said the timing of a third try is undetermined, but the district would emulate Port Townsend’s process for the next outing.
Randall attributed Port Townsend’s success to its ground game.
“It was all about doorbelling,” he said.
“Engaging the public directly helped us to inform people about the issues and got them out to vote.”
Port Townsend School Board member Laura Tucker said she was thrilled about the support.
“We did a lot of homework and told citizens what we needed, and they agreed,” Tucker said.
She added that the measure got strong support from people outside of the school community.
“I’ve never had a child in the school district, and I’ve always voted for schools,” she said. “I’m glad this one went over really well.”
Tucker said Chimacum should not stop trying.
“They have an amazing school district. Maybe their electorate isn’t as well-informed about their needs,” she said.
The final count was of 11,648 ballots, or 50.42 percent of the 23,100 mailed to voters.
As of Wednesday afternoon, there were no ballots left to be counted, according to Elections Supervisor Betty Johnson.
The timing of the next count, if there is one, will depend on how many valid ballots arrive today, she said.
The election is to be certified Feb. 19.
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Jefferson County Editor Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or cbermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
