A quick rundown of the seven school districts in Clark County that are have measures on the ballot

Election Day is Tuesday, and seven school districts in Clark County have measures on the ballot.

Voters should also familiarize themselves with the rules regarding mail-in ballots.

There are two types of school levies on the Feb. 11 ballot: EP&O levies and capital levies. Districts can place one or both types of levies on a ballot. There is also a bond on the ballot.

Here is a breakdown, courtesy of the Educational Services District 112.

Education Programs and Operations (EP&O) levies fund programs and services not fully covered by state or federal funding. EP&O levies support day-to-day school operations, including staffing (above the state allocation), extracurricular activities, special education programs, and basic maintenance of facilities. EP&O levies fill the gap between state funding and the cost of running schools. EP&O levies require a 50-percent-plus-1 simple majority to pass.

The EP&O levies on this ballot are:

Battle Ground Public Schools: A 4-year EP&O levy would fund programs that are not fully funded by the state, including security staff, instructional/support staff, curriculum, nursing, mental health support, special education, busing, sports, including middle school sports, and the arts.

Ridgefield School District: A 3-year replacement EP&O levy would fund athletics, student clubs and activities, Cispus Outdoor School, the Family Resource Center, school supplies, Early Learning services, Special Education services, staff professional development, enhanced curriculum and courses, and more.

Evergreen Public Schools: A 4-year replacement EP&O levy would continue to support teachers, principals, counselors, coaches, safety & security, school support staff including secretaries, paraeducators, extracurricular activities including athletics, orchestra, band, choir, theater, field trips, and more if approved. The EP&O levy would also continue support for special education teachers and paraeducators, multilingual learners, highly capable programs, smaller class sizes, curriculum, textbooks, and professional development.

Mt. Pleasant School: A 3-year replacement EP&O levy would continue funding for student enrichment programs, educational services, staff positions, and facility maintenance not funded, or underfunded by the state, including: art, music, drama, outdoor environmental education, and teacher training and professional development. 

La Center School District: A 3-year replacement levy to fund educational programs and operations expenses not funded by the State, including smaller class sizes, advanced courses, technology, rising maintenance costs, extracurricular activities, transportation, special education, and student safety.

Capital levies are used to fund smaller-scale facility projects and improvements that don’t require the long-term borrowing of a bond. These levies may fund technology upgrades, safety improvements, facility repairs, and deferred maintenance. Capital levies are typically approved by voters for a specific duration and purpose, allowing districts to address immediate or ongoing infrastructure needs. Sometimes, capital levies can fund a portion of school construction projects when pre-construction work has already been completed. Capital levies require a 50-percent-plus-1 simple majority to pass.

The Capital levies for this election are:

Vancouver Public Schools: A 6-year replacement capital levy would fund technology, safety, and capital projects.

Ridgefield School District: A 3-year Capital Facilities/Technology levy, combined with the use of existing development impact fees and state matching funds, would construct a new elementary school, complete overdue deferred maintenance projects at South Ridge and Union Ridge elementary schools, and restore the district’s annual technology budget that was cut due to budget constraints.

Evergreen Public Schools: A 4-year Replacement Safety, Security and Technology Capital (SSTC) levy would continue funding for student and staff devices, school audio-visual equipment, network infrastructure, technology staff, ParentSquare communication service, online curriculum, school communication systems, internet services, emergency response systems, cyber security, and internet safety software if approved.

Bonds fund major construction or facility improvement projects. Bonds can fund new school construction or major updates to existing schools. Similar to a mortgage, bonds are repaid over time through property taxes. Bonds are used for tangible projects that enhance the physical learning environment. Unlike levies, bonds require a 60-percent-plus-1 supermajority to pass.

There is one bond for this election:

Hockinson School District: Bond measure would fund the building of a second elementary school in Hockinson to reduce overcrowding. At the existing Hockinson Heights Elementary School campus, funding would improve traffic flow, reduce the use of portable classrooms, and install automatic lockdown capabilities. If approved, the bond would also allow the district to update safety and security at all schools, create a high school career and technical education facility, and replace the high school track while improving outdoor facilities for student and community use.

Voters are reminded that their ballots must be postmarked no later than Feb. 11 or return ballots to a designated ballot drop box by 8 p.m. on Feb. 11, or return the ballot in person to the Elections Office by 8 p.m. Feb. 11. Please note that simply mailing your ballot on Feb. 11 in a residential mailbox does not guarantee that the ballot will receive a postmark that same day.

In the August 2024 primary election, 934 ballots were late and not counted. More than 800 were postmarked after election day and more than 90 were late at the drop box.

For the November 2024 general election, a total of 265 ballots from Clark County were not counted because they were late.