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Spokane parks levy passes as school bond holds narrow lead

Left to right, city of Spokane Parks and Recreation Director Garrett Jones, Spokane Public Schools Superintendent Adam Swinyard and Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown speak to the crowd after the park bond passed with 54.8% of the vote and the school bond came in at 60.7% in early election results during a Together Spokane election night watch party Tuesday at the Steam Plant Rooftop. (COLIN MULVANY/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW)
By Elena Perry and Emry Dinman The Spokesman-Review

Voters approved Spokane’s $240 million parks levy, and Spokane Public Schools’ closely linked $200 million bond had a slim lead in initial election results Tuesday.

Election night results indicate 54.8% of voters support the parks levy and 60.8% endorsed the school bond. Levies need a simple majority to pass, while bonds need 60%.

Though two separate tax proposals, the entities partnered to accomplish more projects for less overall tax collection. Projects like a replaced Madison Elementary with a school-community hub are only possible if both measures pass.

Two years of planning, an ambitious partnership with Spokane parks, backing from liberals and conservatives, $130,000 in campaign cash from a political committee appears to have put the bond in position to pass after a defeat two years ago.

In 2023, Spokane voters rejected a Spokane Public Schools bond for the first time in decades. Unlike two years ago, the bond this November didn’t face targeted opposition from the county Republican Party and had been deeply tied to the success of a Spokane parks levy also on ballots this year.

Parks-only projects like the hiring of more park rangers, building new parks and upgrading bathrooms can come to fruition with only the levy passing.

School initiatives, like replacing Adams Elementary or developing a new trades high school, require the supermajority voter support to be realized.

At an election night watch party surrounded by supporters like Mayor Lisa Brown and state Sen. Marcus Riccelli, parks Director Garrett Jones said his first priorities are updating and opening bathrooms, hiring more park rangers and maintenance staff and repairing playgrounds. In 2026, the department will develop the first of three new parks in the proposal: Meadowglen on the northwestern edge of the city.

“The No. 1 goal is we want to see a systemwide improvement so the citizens see a level of service increase, whether it’s around maintenance repairs or some of those general improvements,” Jones said.

Spokane Public Schools Superintendent Adam Swinayrd was encouraged to be “on the right side of 60%,” as Brown put it.

First on the list is the replacement of Adams Elementary, Swinyard said. It’s a “shovel-ready” project, he said in a previous interview. The school was built 1910 and has problems with energy efficiency and access for students with disabilities, staff said.

“Kids will start transitioning to their new school site in December and January,” Swinyard said on election night. “So that project was needed desperately, and we’re not going to waste one minute to get it going.”

Laura Sheikh contributed to this story.

Elena Perry can be reached at (509) 459-5270 or by email at elenap@spokesman.com.