Double levy election victory for Eatonville schools

The Eatonville School District is getting what it asked of voters in the special election that ended Tuesday – approval of two levies for a combined $10 million to support student learning and their school buildings.

In unofficial results that will be certified by Pierce County election officials later this month, the two-year, $7.5 million educational programs and operations levy received a 61.2 percent yes vote. The six-year, $2.5 million capital projects levy was passing with 59 percent.

Supporters of the programs and operations measure noted in the leadup to voting that wouldn’t be a new tax and would be assessed at a lower rate than the one it would replace. Renewing the levy pays for teachers and instructional assistants , school buses, gifted-student and advanced placement curriculum, special education, remediation and English as a Second Language programs, books and other learning materials, training and lesson-planning for teachers, and extracurricular activities such as sports and music.

The capital projects levy is described by backers as serving essentially the same thing all property owners deal with – the cost of keeping buildings in good condition.

According to school district officials, property owners will be taxed a total of $2.76 per $1,000 of assessed valuation under the two levies.

Of the 15 school and fire districts with measures on the ballot, Eatonville had the highest percentage turnout of its registered voters (32 percent of 8,219).