UPDATE 10 a.m. Feb. 11

A special meeting has been set for Wednesday, Feb. 17 for the Chimacum School District 49 Board of Directors to consider returning a construction bond to voters on Tuesday, April 23.

The Chimacum School Board discussed the bond's future during a regularly scheduled meeting Feb. 10. The bond on the Feb. 9 ballot is failing with 58 percent support when 60 percent is required. The election results are to be certified Feb. 19.

"In order for the board to gauge the interest and determine the next steps," Chimacum Superintendent Rick Thompson said in an email Feb. 11, a special meeting is set for 6 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 17 in the Chimacum High School library, "to hear public opinion and determine the scope and timing of any bond measure moving forward."

A bond issue may be presented to voters twice in one calendar year, with Chimacum's remaining election month options being April, August or November, or delay it until 2017. The district's replacement maintenance and operations levy is scheduled for a vote in February 2017.

UPDATE 2:30 p.m. Feb. 10

The construction bond requested by Fire District 5 (Discovery Bay) is now passing, thanks to the 953 ballots counted Wednesday by the Jefferson County Auditor's Office.

The fire district's funding request for a new fire hall is now passing with 62%, compared to 59.7% after election night. It gained 11 "yes" votes in the additional ballot count, and zero "no" votes.

The ballot count did not change any other election results, although it bumped the Chimacum School District bond up to 58% approval, from 57% based on election night returns. Bond issues need 60% to pass. the Feb. 10 count added 248 "yes" votes for the Chimacum bond and "118" no votes.

"We counted all the ballots that came in the mail [Feb. 10] and the ones emptied from the drop boxes on Election Day," said Betty Johnson, election coordinator with the Jefferson County Auditor's Office. "We counted today instead of Friday because a couple of issues were close. Our next count will depend on how many valid ballots come in the mail [Feb. 11]."

ORIGINAL STORY:

Supporters of Port Townsend's $40.9 million bond erupted with excitement Tuesday night at the Jefferson County Courthouse as Auditor RoseAnn Carroll announced that measure had passed with 73 percent of the vote.

“I'm really proud of this community,” Superintendent David Engle said moments later. “That's a real vote of confidence in this school system.”

In that same moment, supporters of Chimacum's $29.1 million bond quietly gathered in a corner to make sense of their measure's 57 percent support.

“We did make headway, but it was not enough,” Superintendent Rick Thompson said of his district's measure coming short of the 60 percent approval threshold. “I think we want to go the board and study a bit and make a strategy to get more votes.”

Chimacum School Board chair Kevin Miller was more optimistic.

“I'm sure a lot of people wait to turn in their ballots,” he said, speculating the measure came up about 120 votes short. “So we'll see. We'll cross our fingers and hope for more ballots in the next 24 hours.”

The next scheduled ballot count is noon, Feb, 12. Election certification is Feb. 19. Levies require 50% plus 1 voter approval, bonds require 60%. A measure may be on the ballot twice in one calendar year.

Voter turnout is at 50 percent as of Feb. 9.

Jeff Randall, manager of the “It's Elementary” campaign supporting Port Townsend's bond, credited that measure's success to some 170 volunteers, in particular some two dozen people going to door-to-door, sometimes with children in tow.

“It makes a real difference,” he said.

After Carroll's announcement, Engle shook Thompson's hand, saying “Hang in there; it'll happen.”

Chimacum's 2016 bond request is about $5.7 million less than a bond request rejected by voters in February 2015, with 51.5 percent "yes" and 48.5 percent "no."

Below are the totals as of Feb. 10:

PORT TOWNSEND BOND PASSING

Port Townsend School District: $40.9 million bond, 20 years, total cost with interest, $67.34 million. Builds a new elementary school, helps at PTHS campus. 4,830 YES 73%, 1,766 NO 27%

CHIMACUM BOND FAILING

Chimacum School District: $29.1 million bond, 20 years, total cost with interest, $48 million. Expands primary school, also changes main campus. 2,710 YES 58%, 1,965 NO 42%

QUILCENE LEVY PASSING

Quilcene School District: 4-year replacement M&O levy, $2.2 million. 433 YES 67%, 211 NO 33%

BRINNON LEVY PASSING

Brinnon School District: 2-year replacement M&O levy, $620,197. 325 YES 65%, 177 NO 35%

DISCOVERY BAY FIRE BOND PASSING

Jefferson County Fire District 5 (Discovery Bay Fire & Rescue) asked for voter approval to issue $530,000 of bonds and levy a property tax to build a four-bay metal building. 109 YES 62%, 66 NO 38%.

SEQUIM SCHOOL BOND FAILING

Voters in the Gardiner area of Jefferson County vote in Sequim School District elections. Sequim's proposed $54 million bond to fund a new elementary school and renovations at other campuses, is failing at 57% voter approval.

Jefferson County:97 YES 56%, 77 NO 44%

Clallam County: 7,334 YES 57%, 5,532 NO 43%