Preliminary results from the February 14 election show that Othello School District’s Educational Programs and Operations (EP & O) levy appears to be passing. After the first count of ballots, 62.46 percent of voters approved the district’s request to renew the EP & O levy for another three years. Votes from property owners in the Grant County portion of the district have not been tabulated as of this release. “The early count is very encouraging,” said Ed Petersen, Director of Public Relations. “There are still ballots to count, but it appears to be good news for Othello’s students at this time.”

“We want to sincerely thank our community for continuing to show support for education through the local levy,” said Pete Perez, Superintendent. “Strong schools build strong communities, and we’re sending the right message to our students about the value of education with this election.”

Othello asked voters to approve the renewal of the EP & O levy through 2026. Because Othello qualifies to receive local effort assistance (LEA) from the state, the levy will generate approximately $9 million in revenue for the district from 2024 through 2026. 

The EP & O levy provides funding to support a wide-ranging variety of services and academic supports, including staff salaries & benefits, district operations, student health and safety, athletics, arts and music programs, and facility maintenance. “One of the biggest things the levy does for us is to provide funding for things like full-time counselors in our schools, nurses, and other educational staff that the state doesn’t fully fund,” said Perez. 

“We’re committed to transparency about how our levy funding is used to support education,” said Petersen. “The district will periodically update the community about levy allocations and the programs funded by it.”