The Missoula County Public Schools' 10-year building reserve lost, with 3,876 voters in favor of the measure to 4,759 opposed.
However, MCPS voters gave their blessing to elementary and high school general fund levy requests. The elementary levy of $185,228 and the high school levy of $27,561 both saw at least 58 percent favorable votes.
Ballot counting was delayed several hours by the large number of write-in elections for school trustee seats, including two in MCPS. As of press time, incumbent MCPS elementary Trustee Kelley Hirning had received 4,001 votes, guaranteeing her one of two open seats on the board.
However, Missoula County elections supervisor Debbe Merseal said all write-in results would not be released until Wednesday morning, due to the slow counting.
MCPS write-in candidates Adam Duerk and Wendy Martin brought in a total
1,160 votes, but the breakdown wasn't available at press time. Teams of three voting judges were hand-checking each ballot with a write-in vote to determine the results. Zeier predicted the count would go beyond midnight.
MCPS Superintendent Jim Clark was dismayed at the second failure of the building reserve levy. The request would have raised $1 million a year for 10 years. It would have paid for energy-efficiency upgrades to the school district's four high schools; new security cameras, radios and communications gear; and numerous other maintenance and equipment needs.
“Just trying to motivate people to come out and vote is huge,” Clark said while waiting for polling results. “I don't know what speaks to them.”
Election officials at several polling places in Missoula said they heard voter complaints that MCPS didn't reduce or modify the building reserve request after it was rejected a first time last November. That levy failed in a mail ballot by three percentage points, making it the first Missoula school levy request in a dozen years to be defeated.
Clark addressed several community groups to explain the need for the building reserve. MCPS also ran numerous print and radio ads detailing its spending plan and asking people to turn out for voting. By law, the ads and Clark's speeches weren't permitted to advocate in favor of the measure, although individual school trustees were allowed to ask for support.
Elsewhere in the county, voters rejected a three-year, $180,000 technology levy at Target Range Elementary School, 369-306. Target Range's general fund levy was tied at press time, 338-338, after trailing most of the evening. Voters appeared ready to return incumbent Trustee Lisa Triepke with 302 votes, while challenger Casper Schmidt held a thin lead over incumbent Trustee Eric Bentle, 222-216. David DelSordo received 141 votes.
Seeley Lake's $18,014 general fund levy passed, 224-164. At press time, incumbent Trustee Todd Johnson and newcomer Dwight Jenkins appeared to lead a five-person contest for two open seats on the school board.
Lolo Elementary School's $60,718 general fund mill levy passed, 337-302. Brian Burns was unopposed for a three-year term, while Kelly Hart defeated Kris High, 301-146, for a two-year term.
A $17,000 technology levy for Woodman School District was defeated, 41-26. Sunset Elementary District's $16,297 general fund request passed, 25-10.
In Clinton, incumbent Trustee Jennifer Fost received 141 votes, followed by challenger Pat Lauridson with 112 votes for two open seats. Incumbent Hank Gurzynski trailed with 77 votes, along with newcomer Dawn Tucker at 67.
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