5/9/2023

Updated 5/10/2023
There will not be a recount of the levy votes. The Cowlitz County Auditors office confirmed today with ESN that although information packets had been picked up and several questions were asked about the process no one submitted the application or deposit payment for either a machine recount or hand recouont. The machine recount deposit would have cost $533 and the hand count deposit was about $830. The total cost was 15-cents per ballot on the machine recount and 25-cents per ballot for a hand recount. With a little more than 4,000 total ballots, including a few hundred from Clark county, the more expensive hand recount would have been a little more than $1,000. The 7 vote loss is now official and the district cannot run another levy until next calendar year. For more details on the fallout of the failing levy read our report below from Tuesday.

Woodland 

The Woodland levy failed by just 7 votes and results in a double levy failure with lots of cuts coming to the district. Supporters are heartbroken after a huge effort to pass the levy and then coming so close to pass but coming up short. It was a huge difference from the February ballot.

In February the final count was 1,926 no and 1,501 yes for an overwhelming failure of 57% to 43% or 425 votes. The April vote attracted more than 500 additional voters and they closed the gap from 425 to 7. Total count was 2,043 no votes to 2,036 yes or a percent difference of 50.09% no to 49.91% yes. 

Many think this close of a race would trigger an automatic recount but it does not. The automatic recount is only for statewide issues and elections for local issues and elections there is no automatic recount but anyone can pay to have one done. The cost in Cowlitz County is 15-cents per ballot for a machine recount and 25-cents per ballot for a hand recount. So for a hand recount of the election it would cost a little more than $1,000. 

To turn around the election they would have to flip 8 no votes to yes as you need 50%+1 vote to win an election. A 50-50 tie is not a win. ESN talked with Cowlitz County election officials and they told us that paperwork to request a recount had been requested but so far no completed forms with payment have been turned in. The deadline is today (Tuesday) by the end of business to request or the results will remain official.

A failed 2nd levy for Woodland will result in deep cuts to many programs including sports which is our focus. The cuts will include all middle school sports leaving only intramurals, Freshman and C teams at the high school will be cut leaving only Varsity and JV teams. All transportation so athletes will have to arrange their own transportation to and from games, home and away. The Athletic Director will be reduced by 40% and will return to the classroom to teach along with the AD duties. Before and after school child care was significantly reduced with the help of levy funds so those cost will rise to the actual cost of child care and facility rentals also were held to a reasonable amount and now will rise significantly to cover the costs or maintenance, custodial staff, security and other fees that may be required for those interested in renting school district facilities.

Click here for a complete list of Woodland School District projected cuts

The District will have to wait until next calendar year to attempt another levy election. We will update this story if a ballot recount is approved.

Centralia

The Centralia school district failed both attempts at passing their levy this year which means beginning in January 2024 the district will lose the levy revenue passed 2 years ago. But they will continue to receive revenue from now through the end of 2023. This has given the board some room to operate and save more than just the varsity sports.

Sources have told ESN the district’s sports budget had been $900,000 and that covers all sports from varsity down through middle school sports. The board is considering cutting that budget in half to 450k. This would then allow varsity and junior varsity sports to continue through the entire 2023-24 school year.

This would also give the district a chance to pass a levy next year with a likely run date in February. The 2nd attempt at the levy this year was run on April 25th and ultimately lost by just 73 total votes 2,740 no votes to 2,667 yes votes or 50.68% to 49.32%. This was a slight improvement over the 1st try on February 22nd when that levy election failed by 115 votes.

The double loss of the levy will result in a 2.5-4.2 million dollar shortfall between the loss of the direct levy funds to the expected decline in student population after a double levy failure is historically around 5% and if its even more it could push a 5 million dollar deficit.

There will be many other cuts the district is considering from not filling open positions to cutting non-essential personnel such as maintenance. They will consider dropping their share of support for the pool at Thorbeckes. According to our source the agreement allows the district to pull out of the agreement when a double levy failure occurs.

Athletic Director Tim Ahern is also the Dean of Students and handles other duties so his position is not expected to be cut. The coaching staffs will be staffed to accommodate varsity and JV teams under the proposal.

The school board and District Administration will continue to hash out a final plan so we are told that everything remains on the table to get cut until a final plan is formalized and agreed upon. Supporters of athletics will keep their fingers crossed until the final decision is made.

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