After what turned into a somewhat depressing Election Night last November, I spent two days accepting that we had lost Simple Majority. Few dislike losing as much as I do - but when a loss has a direct negative effect on one million students, it is especially hard.
I think it was on the fourth day that things began to change. I remember sitting at my computer at 4 p.m. waiting patiently for Pierce, Snohomish and King counties to update their vote totals. By 4:15 p.m. suddenly we were winning - and man did it feel fantastic. I never thought I could match the excitement I felt that afternoon. I was wrong.
This past Tuesday, 127 school levies were up for election statewide. But this time it was very different. The levy elections are now like the majority of elections we have, needing 50 percent plus one to pass rather than the old, unfair supermajority requirement. The results are pretty incredible. As of today, 122 of these levies are passing.
Here are the results separated by approval rate to show how the results might have looked under the old supermajority requirement:
|
Approval rate |
Number of School Levies |
Percentage of Total |
|
49% and below |
5 |
3.9% |
|
50%-59% |
68 |
53.5% |
|
60% and above |
54 |
42.4% |
As you can see, it would have been an entirely different story under the old barrier. An additional 53.5 percent of school levies statewide would have failed. Even more compelling, this group of 68 levies adds up to more than $485 million. Almost $500 million to help school districts reduce class size, increase professional development for teachers, and purchase new text books ... the list goes on.
I admit there were moments during the campaign when I got tired. I phone banked nearly every night for a month straight with a dedicated group of staff and volunteers. We all had moments of exhaustion, but we kept going. Now we see why - and we will continue to see our efforts pay off in future elections. It took a huge amount of collective hard work to pass Simple Majority and we should all feel proud. So, if you talked to a neighbor, picked up the phone, wrote a check, or simply voted to APPROVE 4204, - this is your moment to sit back and smile. Your work is changing the lives of one million students statewide.
Thank you!