Three weeks after voters cast ballots, the Pasco (Wash.) district got the results it had been hoping for: Its $99.5 million bond request was approved.
The Tri-City Herald reports that the proposal received the support of 60.07 percent of voters—about seven votes more than the 60 percent needed for approval.
The official tally released Tuesday was 6,270 in favor and 4,167 against.
The bond is “the first step in the district’s multilayered approach to alleviate overcrowding and reduce the number of portables at our schools," Pasco Superintendent Michelle Whitney said. "Our citizen-led Community Builders group did a great job determining the district’s most urgent needs to support our students and schools."
The vote totals have been fluctuating since election night on Nov. 7. The first count indicated that the proposal was losing. In a subsequent count, the bond request pulled ahead by three votes. Then, it fell behind again—by a single vote—as of a Nov. 13 count.
Since then, supporters and opponents have been awaiting the final results.
The district proposed the bond to address crowding that has resulted from steady enrollment growth during the past decade. As of October, it had more than 18,000 students — an increase of 37 percent from 2007.
The bonds will pay for building two new elementary schools and a new middle school, as well as rebuilding Stevens Middle School.
