“Levy basicsThe South Whidbey School District is asking for a two-year continuance of its existing maintenance and operation levy. If approved by voters, the amount raised each year will be approximately $3 million, resulting in a property tax rate of no more than the present $1.54 per thousand of assessed value. This is the last chance to present the levy to voters this year. A failure, according to Superintendent of Schools Dr. Lisa Bjork, would result in massive cuts in staff and programs. Gentlemen, start your election. OK, so this isn’t the Indy 500. But an election crucial to supporters of South Whidbey schools is now under way. The Island County Auditor’s Office started mailing out absentee ballots last week, with some arriving in mailboxes as early as Saturday. The rest will be mailed early this week, according to elections officer Loann Gullick. By the end of the week, more than half the expected voters in the election scheduled for Tuesday, April 25 will have their ballots in hand. A majority of absentee voters supported the levy on its first attempt Feb. 29, but not nearly enough — only 53 percent cast yes votes, while 60 percent was needed to pass. A heavy yes vote of 67 percent at the polls on election day fell 24 vote short of making up for all the negative absentees. Dean Hatt, co-chair of the citizens committee to pass the school levy, said Monday that levy backers are not really chasing after no votes. The theory is that those who voted no the first time around probably won’t change their minds this time around. Instead, Hatt and co-chair Debra Valis and others are looking for more yes voters. Their second pro-levy campaign is quietly in progress. We’re focusing on school employees, parents and grandparents. . . . the teachers are more involved, we’re going to the PTA’s, putting up larger signs. Kids are involved . . . Hatt said the community’s attitude has changed dramatically now that the levy is up for its second and final try. If this attempt fails, the school district will have to cut spending 18 percent. Up to 17 staff members will be laid off, class sizes will increase, and music, art and sports programs will be in jeopardy. Interest is huge, Hatt said. Everybody is talking about it. There’s ten times the positive activity, people coming up to me and asking ‘hey, what can I do?’ Hatt has plenty for volunteers to do, from making phone calls to registered voter to hanging signs in businesses and waving signs at passing traffic on election day. Also, 30 18-year-olds in the school district have been registered to vote since the first levy failure. We only need 24 more to vote yes, Hatt said. We’ll pass it. “