MLSD levy passing
After two failed levies last spring, voters in the Moses Lake School District were approving the most recent Educational Program and Operations Levy Tuesday. Around 5,900 people voted yes and about 4,150 voted no on the measure as of Tuesday. The next ballot count will be Feb. 13.
NANCE BESTON/COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD
Moses Lake School District’s proposed Educational Programs and Operations levy was leading with yes votes Tuesday night. The proposed levy will now fund academic support, athletics and activities, elementary specialists, maintenance and custodial, materials and supplies, secondary course offerings, technology and safety, security and health.
Yellow signs decorated the lawns of many residents in Moses Lake in support of the proposed Educational Programs and Operations levy. One resident customized their sign to remind people Tuesday was the last day to vote. Around 10,000 people voted on the measure.
MOSES LAKE – The Moses Lake School District Educational Programs and Operations levy were leading with yes votes by 58.77% on Tuesday night when 10,058 of the ballots were counted. The next ballot count will be Feb. 13.
“First, I would like to thank the community and those that supported the school district and the board in this effort,” MLSD Board Chair Kirryn Jenson said. “We are thrilled to have made great strides in earning back the trust of our community. We are committed to continuing transparency and accountability. We will be focused on responsibly funding education and improving student achievement and success.”
As of Tuesday, 5,911 people voted yes and 4147 people voted no on the proposed measure.
“I am so happy for the kids and the community as a whole,” Superintendent Carol Lewis said. “The high voter turnout is just as important as the yes vote because people got engaged with the process and engaged with the school district.”
The proposed levy is estimated to bring in $1.50 per $1,000 of assessed value or $150 per $100,000 of assessed property value. The levy will be collected from 2026 to 2029 with collections of around $11.2 million, $12.56 million, $13.36 million and $14.2 million respectively. Alongside the levy passing, the district will get Local Effort Assistance funds of around $23.5 million in the four years.
Last spring two failed levies alongside enrollment miscalculation and accounting errors resulted in an over $20 million budget shortfall. As a result, the district cut teachers, staff, activities and athletics, technology, extra-curricular classes and more.
“This moment is about more than funding—it’s about our community standing together to say our kids deserve better,” said Superintendent Carol Lewis in a statement. “We’ve faced challenges, we’ve had tough conversations, and we’ve made changes to ensure accountability and transparency. This levy is proof that when we listen, adapt, and work together, we can achieve incredible things for our students.”
According to the district, the levy approval will promote academic growth and allow educators and support staff to help students within the classroom. It will also pay for the fully funded return of extracurricular programs by 2026-27. The levy allows for increased ability to maintain facilities and grounds and make improvements to day and night custodial care. There will be increased classroom access to necessary materials. It also will allow for the expansion of programs in elementary arts and physical education. Additionally, it will pay for the continued availability of school resource officers and health staff within the district.
The district will be unable to collect funds from the levy until the beginning of 2026.
Board members Jensen, Paul Hill, Amy Breitenstein, Carla Urias and Ryan Coulston all filed ballots in the February election. The board unanimously approved the levy measure going before voters on Dec. 12 of last year.
“There were 4,000 or so people who voted no, and what I want to say to them is, ‘You’re part of our community too,’ and we want to continue to engage with everyone, even the folks who voted no this time,” Lewis said.
She said the district will continue to do community outreach via monthly community forums, financial reporting and the start of a quarterly newsletter.
“We plan to put out a quarterly newsletter which is going to include financial reporting and just general reporting on how we're doing academically and how we're moving towards our goals,” Lewis said.
Moses Lake School District’s proposed Educational Programs and Operations levy was leading with yes votes Tuesday night. The proposed levy will now fund academic support, athletics and activities, elementary specialists, maintenance and custodial, materials and supplies, secondary course offerings, technology and safety, security and health.
Yellow signs decorated the lawns of many residents in Moses Lake in support of the proposed Educational Programs and Operations levy. One resident customized their sign to remind people Tuesday was the last day to vote. Around 10,000 people voted on the measure.