Initiative 1240
Election Results
| Option | Votes | Pct |
|---|---|---|
| Yes | 1,419,188 | 50.79% |
| No | 1,374,977 | 49.21% |
* Race percentages are calculated with data from the Secretary of State's Office, which omits write-in votes from its calculations when there are too few to affect the outcome. The Spokane County Auditor's Office may have slightly different percentages than are reflected here because its figures include any write-in votes.
About The Measure
This measure would authorize up to forty publicly-funded charter schools open to all students, operated through approved, nonreligious, nonprofit organizations, with government oversight; and modify certain laws applicable to them as public schools.
Should this measure be enacted into law?
Complete Coverage
Charter schools still face hurdles
SEATTLE – Now that voters have spoken about charter schools, will the new, independent public schools be an option at the beginning of the next academic year? It seems unlikely.
Spokane will seek charter school
Although votes are still being counted on Washington’s charter school initiative, Spokane Public Schools officials have already decided the district will apply to have one if it passes. “If we are trying to do some innovative programs, we should have a good shot,” said Superintendent Shelley Redinger, who helped set up a charter school as a superintendent in Oregon. “Part of it is if we don’t have one to offer our community and someone else does, I’m afraid the students will go elsewhere.”
Pot use OK’d; same-sex marriage, charter schools leading
Same-sex couples may be able to marry in Washington as early as next month, as the state’s voters seemed to be narrowly approving a law that was passed then suspended earlier this year. More certain for December, adults who use marijuana won’t need to fear arrest from state or local law enforcement officials, at least. By a larger margin, voters were approving a ballot measure that legalizes recreational marijuana use for adults, although it keeps it illegal for those under 21. The drug will still be illegal for everyone under federal law, however, and the state is headed for a new chapter in its 12-year-fight with the other Washington over who knows best about marijuana.
Charter school backers paid big bucks to get on ballot
OLYMPIA – Supporters of a ballot measure to put charter schools on the Washington ballot for the fourth time paid more than $2 million to an out-of-state firm to gather the signatures that virtually assure them a vote in November. Reports filed with the state Public Disclosure Commission show the campaign for Initiative 1240 paid about $2.1 million to PCI Consultants Inc. of Calabasas, Calif. A spokeswoman for the campaign had refused to reveal the amount spent on signature-gathering, or the company that received it, when supporters turned in signatures last Friday.