Charter School Initiative Defeated

Tue., Nov. 14, 2000

From Staff

A charter-school initiative on last week’s general-election ballot has been defeated.

The vote on I-729 was too close to call initially after ballots were counted from the Nov. 7 election, but absentee ballots have since increased the margin between those opposed to the initiative and those supporting it to more than 77,000 votes among some 2 million counted to date.

Although state officials estimate more than 300,000 absentee ballots have yet to be counted, “yes” votes would have to comprise about 62 percent of the remaining ballots to catch up to the “no” votes.

So far, the absentee ballots have run against the measure, which was failing by a 52 percent-48 percent margin.

The initiative would have allowed communities to set up 80 charter schools that would largely be free of state regulation so they could experiment with innovative teaching techniques.

Local journalism is essential.

Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Gifts processed in this system are tax deductible.

Meet Our Journalists

Jesse Tinsley

Meet Jesse Tinsley. As a certified drone pilot, this veteran Spokesman-Review photographer often can be seen capturing beautiful aerial photographs of our region. Sometimes though, the job requires getting down with the dogs.
Jim Meehan

Jim Meehan is no stranger to Zag Nation. As the lead writer covering the Gonzaga men’s basketball team, he tells the stories behind the game and gets fans a bit closer to their favorite players.
Molly Quinn

There is no artist in Spokane like Molly Quinn. Her whimsical style is instantly recognizable to readers of The Spokesman-Review. She has painted gorgeous illustrations that instantly elevate the journalism accompanying it. She brings to life the stories that defy photography. She makes our pages better.
Rob Curley

Spokesman-Review editor Rob Curley loves to talk with people and learn about their lives, whether it's a best-selling author or a stranger he meets downtown on his walk to lunch. It's that inquisitive nature combined with a playful sense of storytelling that helps make our newspaper different than most.