The second round of ballots counted in last week’s Special Election on the Chimacum School District’s Proposition 1 measure were showing stronger support for the levy to pay for school programs, operations and maintenance.

Support for Chimacum’s Prop. 1 stood at 67.17 percent in favor (32.83 percent against) in last Wednesday’s updated vote tally.

That’s an increase in support from the vote count on Election Night, which had 66.09 percent in favor.

The levy will raise $2.1 million in property taxes to pay for teachers, programs and upkeep of local schools in 2022.

“This vote shows a deep commitment by the community to support our students,” said Maren Johnson, the chair of the community committee that promoted the levy.

“It was a bit daunting to run a levy during a pandemic, but our students have needed us like never before. We are so grateful for the investment the community has made in our kids,” Johnson added. 

She praised the support of the Chimacum community and also thanked those who helped get Prop. 1 passed.

“I’m a parent and a community member. To see the community support the schools in this way gives me so much hope for the future of Chimacum,” Johnson said. “The volunteers on the levy committee were amazing, and it was an honor to work with them.”

Jefferson County elections officials said 5,032 ballots have been counted for Prop. 1. The vote count in last Wednesday’s update was 3,380 in favor, and 1,652 opposed.

The vote tally for the education programs and operations for the Queets-Clearwater School District’s Prop. 1 was also cruising to approval. The levy will bring in roughly $75,000 for education programs, and maintenance and operation expenses. 

The updated tally — with 24 ballots counted — had a “yes” vote of 66.67 percent, and “no” vote of 33.33 percent. 

The Quillayute Valley School District’s program and operations levy was passing handily; 57.25 percent in favor, 42.75 percent opposed, in the combined vote count in Jefferson and Clallam counties.

A total of 1,186 ballots have been counted. Forty of those ballots were in JeffCo, where the measure had 75 percent support.

In Clallam, the Quillayute Valley measure had 56.63 percent in favor, and 43.37 percent opposed.

The Quillayute Valley’s replacement levy will bring in $714,304 to pay for teachers, staff, programs and operations.

The program and operations levy on the February Special Election ballot for Sequim schools was passing in the most recent vote update last Wednesday.

The “yes” vote was 56.64 percent; the “no” vote was 43.36 percent.

The Sequim School District’s Prop. 1 will raise roughly $7.7 million annually.

Sequim’s Prop. 2, the capital levy to raise property taxes for improvements to school facilities, was passing in the updated vote tally.

The combined vote for Jefferson and Clallam voters was 58.39 percent in favor, and 41.61 percent opposed.

The ballot count in the updated tally was 7,868 votes in favor, and 5,606 opposed. 

A total of 13,474 ballots have been counted through Feb. 10.

In Jefferson County, 180 ballots for Prop. 2 were counted, and JeffCo voters were rejecting the measure with 52.78 percent opposed, and 47.22 percent in favor.

Clallam voters were overwhelming supporting the school improvement levy; 58.55 percent in favor, and 41.45 percent opposed.

In Jefferson County, elections officials reported 5,283 ballots have been counted since Election Night.

A total of 11,212 voters were eligible to vote in this year’s February Special Election. Turnout was pegged at 47.12 percent last Wednesday.

The next ballot count is planned for Friday, Feb. 19. The election is expected to be certified as official on that day.