Schools Win Some, Lose Some Liberty Misses Junior High, But Medical Lake, Others Say

The Liberty School District narrowly missed getting a new junior high school building in a special election Tuesday night.

But Medical Lake voters gave overwhelming approval to a similar bond issue.

The $6.3 million Liberty bond measure was approved by 58 percent of voters, 815-590. It needed at least 60 percent approval to pass.

Besides the junior high, the bond would have paid for expansion and modernization of crowded elementary and high schools.

In Medical Lake, 70 percent of voters approved a $6.25 million bond issue. The money will be used for modernization and an addition to Medical Lake High School.

The district is now eligible for $7.6 million in state matching money, officials said.

In other elections, voters in the Orchard Prairie School District approved a $52,000 maintenance and operation levy to provide transportation and pay the costs of students who attend Mead and West Valley high schools.

The Orchard Prairie district has no high school. The vote passing the levy was 202-39.

In Lincoln County, voters rejected a $1.28 million bond measure for the Wilbur School District.

The measure needed 60 percent support, but got only 54.1 percent. The vote was 226-192.

Elsewhere in the county, voters approved special levies for the Davenport and Reardan-Edwall districts.

The Davenport levy had 67.5 percent support, 564-272. The Reardan-Edwall levy, including Spokane County results, had 64.9 percent support, 445-241.

In Stevens County, Colville School District voters approved a special levy with 66.1 percent support, 1,486-761.

Results of a Kettle Falls school bond election were not available.

, DataTimes