Good for Marysville Finally

Marysville OKs school levy, bond

By Lynn Thompson

Times Snohomish County Bureau

By the narrowest of margins, Marysville voters have approved two school measures totaling about $190 million.

Final results posted early Thursday evening by the Snohomish County auditor had a $118 million construction bond passing with 60.06 percent approval and a $72 million operations levy passing with 60.18 percent approval, barely above the 60 percent supermajority required for passage.

The bond measure's passage will allow the fast-growing district to build a new high school, something it has been trying to do for years. Its only comprehensive high school, Marysville-Pilchuck, is the second-largest in the state, with about 2,300 students.

"There was hugging, cheers and handshakes all around," said Superintendent Larry Nyland, who spent time promoting the measures at community forums, PTA meetings and at coffee shops and local grocery stores.

The vote was close until the end. Earlier this week, the operations levy was barely passing and the bond measure was narrowly failing.

The slim margin, Nyland said earlier this week, "was the difference between ecstasy, of getting going for kids, and agony, of having to do it again."

Marysville hadn't passed a construction bond measure since 1990. Along with a new high school, the measure will allow the district to build a new elementary school.

A citizens group had opposed the district's four-year operations levy, arguing that too much of the district's budget went toward teacher salaries. But the group, led by former School Board member Ron Young, urged support of the bond measure because of the current overcrowding and the continuing escalation of construction costs.

The school district has struggled to overcome the residual bitterness of a record 49-day teachers strike in 2003 and the subsequent $340,000 buyout of former Superintendent Linda Whitehead.

Lynn Thompson: 425-745-7807 or lthompson@seattletimes.com