SPOKANE, Wash. — The Spokane Public School Board held a special meeting on Wednesday to talk about bonds and levies. Early counts show voters did not pass the SPS Bond.
The school board talked about when they will be able to get another vote out in the community. The two options right now are November 2024 or waiting until February 2027.
In the meantime, their plan is to talk with school staff, parents and voters on the bond. The Elections Department is officially certifying the election results on Friday.
As of right now, only 56% of voters said yes on the on the bond. It needed 60% of the votes to pass. This is the first time in 50 years voters didn’t pass an SPS bond.
If the bond had passed, it would mean property taxes would have gone up. If you had a house worth $370,000, your taxes would have totaled approximately $1,000 for the year. That is around a $64-$74 per year increase for both the bond and levy. The district says it would have given them no more than $200 million.
However, voters did pass the SPS levy that was on the ballot. The board is expected to start putting together their 2024-2025 budget now they have funding from the levy.
WATCH RELATED: Staff at Adams Elementary reacts to Spokane Public Schools apparent bond failure
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