(The Center Square) – In what it described as a “monumental victory,” the Moses Lake School District passed a levy on Tuesday with 58% of the vote after last year’s failures left hundreds of people without a job.
Grant County won’t certify the results until Feb. 21, but failure seems impossible. The district scored over 5,900 votes on Tuesday, with only 25 ballots left to count. The success positions its ability to levy a $1.50 tax on every $1,000 of assessed property value through 2029.
Moses Lake will start collecting next year, meaning the district won’t receive any of that funding until 2026. MLSD officials expect the Educational Programs & Operations Levy to generate around $51.3 million, with another $23.5 million in Local Effort Assistance from the state.
“This moment is about more than funding – it’s about our community standing together to say our kids deserve better,” MLSD Superintendent Carol Lewis wrote in a news release.
The district ran levies last year in February and April but failed to reach the simple majority required to pass. That stumble led to external reviews exposing accounting errors and other issues, amounting to a more than $20 million shortfall. Ultimately, the fallout cut more than 250 jobs.
State law limits districts to two failed levies a year, so MLSD had to wait until now before asking voters again. Lewis said they’ve “made changes to ensure accountability and transparency,” but that didn’t include a forensic audit as many had called for.
Source One News published an opinion piece last month in which a former MLSD School Board member anonymously called for a forensic audit. The plea followed the board stating its opposition to the endeavor in November as the writer alleged “falsification of financial reports.”
School Board President Kirryn Jensen acknowledged concerns days later but noted that MLSD is undergoing a state audit. Jensen added that she would consider a forensic audit if the state finds it necessary, but that wouldn’t happen until after a vote on the levy.
“The trust of our community is something we will never take for granted,” Lewis continued in the Feb. 12 release. “We are committed to ongoing transparency, fiscal responsibility, and, most importantly, keeping students at the heart of every decision.”
Tuesday’s success will allow the district to increase funding in several areas diminished by prior failures. From sports, arts and physical education to school resource officers, materials and custodial care, officials say the funding will help MLSD recover and thrive.
“This levy is proof that when we listen, adapt, and work together, we can achieve incredible things for our students,” Lewis wrote.
