For the third time in three years, Kalispell area voters shot down a high school building reserve levy on Tuesday night. Meanwhile, an operational levy for the city’s elementary schools passed by more than 700 votes.
Although not all of the votes were counted yet late Tuesday, Superintendent Darlene Schottle said it was unlikely there would be enough to change the outcome. As of 10 p.m. the results from Lakeside and Somers had yet to arrive. According to Schottle, the unofficial numbers were 3,414 for the levy and 3,599 against it.
“Unfortunately it was really close, and it was a lot closer than last year, but we weren’t successful,” she said.
Schottle said the building reserve levy would have mostly funded improvements at Flathead High School, which she said has some of the biggest needs in the district. Currently the school has problems with its heating and air condition systems. Had the levy passed, the school district would have gotten $825,583 every year for five years.
The unofficial results of the elementary school levy were much more definitive, with 2,418 in favor and 1,716 against. Schottle said the $211,500 from that levy will hire more personnel to address rising enrollment numbers in Kalispell’s elementary schools.
Here are the preliminary election results for the rest of the Flathead Valley:
Kalispell School Trustees, one elected
Joe Brenneman – 330
Ivan Lorentzen – 325
Whitefish School Board, two elected
Shannon Hanson – 623
Patricia Jarvi – 891
Shawn Tucker – 642
High School Operational Levy
For – 809
Against – 601
Columbia Falls School Board, two elected
Jill Rocksund – 821
James Henjum – 618
Benjamin Shafer – 589
Carl Motichka – 464
Glenn Wehe – 243
Elementary Operation Levy
For – 786
Against – 761
High School Operation Levy
For – 825
Against – 809
West Valley School Board, two elected
Sean Brannan – 145
Cory Hill – 276
Jane Wheeler – 273
Kila School Board, one elected
Jennifer Crowley – 97
Angela Carlson – 55
Lakeside/Somers School Board, two elected
Sam Bagley – 446
John Hollensteiner – 541
Dave Alexander – 426
Stephen Naso – 315
General operation levy
For – 515
Against – 626
Olney/Bissell School District operation levy
For – 50
Against – 58
Flathead Valley Community College Board, one elected
Michael Hebert – 775
Jerry Elwood – 894
Ralene Sliter – 2,453