The Whew, and then the WOW!

The Whew

Tuesday, Feb. 8, 8:15 p.m. — first vote count showed Seattle Public Schools two levy measures passing with more than 70% approval. I was relieved and thrilled because we just didn’t know how voters would respond after 2 years of pandemic protocols including remote school, masking, and distancing. Seattle voters came through for students.

The Wow!

Friday, Feb. 18 — Certified election results show that voters did more than come through! Results show 78.87% of voters said to the levy that supports operations, and a whopping 79.5% said yes to the capital levy that supports construction and technology.

It’s the highest percentage of yes votes I’ve ever seen for a school levy, and the highest Seattle has had in at least the past 20 years. I’m proud of the work the levies communications team did. The internal staff and the consultants (Strategies360 and me) put time and thought into sharing information, and it gives me the warm-fuzzies to see that work paid off.

My levy/bond approval record is now 15/15 for those I’ve worked on directly. That’s a lot of dollars approved for students. I appreciate living and working in communities where voters support public schools.

The Thank You

If you voted, thank you. Voting rights for some of us took too long and needed too much of a fight to not vote.

If you voted yes for your public schools, THANK YOU!!!! Not only did you exercise your right to vote, but you made a difference.