Deer Park levy passes; other measures failing

Wed., April 18, 2012

Ballot measures in two area school districts were failing late Tuesday, while voters in Deer Park approved a maintenance levy after rejecting a slightly larger tax earlier this year.

The Reardan-Edwall School District asked for voter backing of an $18.4 million bond issue for major school improvements across the district. It needed a 60 percent yes vote to pass, but was failing by a 56-44 margin Tuesday night.

Riverside voters had a three-year replacement levy on the ballot that would have raised about $2.8 million. It was failing by a 52-48 margin. Riverside voters had rejected a similar levy in February. The district reduced the cost of the levy, per $1,000 assessed property value, by about half a dollar in hopes of gaining more votes.

The Deer Park levy was passing 61-39. That levy, too, was smaller than the one voters rejected in February.

In Spokane County, there were 7,000 ballots yet to count, though most of those ballots fell outside the three school districts.

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