Pateros voters approve replacement four-year school levy

PATEROS – By a margin of almost 10 percent, Pateros voters approved the four-year Educational Programs and Operation Levy (EP&O) for the Pateros School District in the Feb. 13 Special Election.
Results from the Okanogan County Auditor’s Office showed 197 votes or 59.34 percent in favor of the measure and 135 or 40.66 percent opposed as of Tuesday afternoon, Feb. 20. The counted ballots are among the 332 returned out of 796 total ballots.
The EP&O Levy, while under a different title, is a replacement of the previous four-year operations levy that expires at the end of this year. The $2.656 million measure will give the district $664,000 per year from 2019-2022 at the $2.95 per $1,000 of assessed valuation or $295 per $100,000 property value.
The levy approval will also give Pateros School District access to some $130,000 to $250,000 of state funds next year.
The election results will be certified on Friday, Feb. 23.