North Mason School Levy Leading at 53.5% — Certification Set for May 8

The North Mason School District levy is leading in early returns from the April 28 special election — a stark reversal after two consecutive defeats and more than a year of program cuts that reshaped what students in Belfair and the Hood Canal corridor get from their schools.

According to the Mason County Auditor, the four-year replacement levy received 2,130 yes votes (53.50%) and 1,851 no votes (46.50%) in the combined Mason and Kitsap county tally as of election night. In Mason County alone — which casts the overwhelming majority of North Mason ballots — the measure leads 2,089 to 1,808 (53.61% yes). In the small Kitsap County portion of the district, the early count showed 41 yes to 43 no.

These are preliminary numbers. Washington is a vote-by-mail state, ballots arrive for days after election day, and nothing is final until certification. The Mason County Canvassing Board has a challenged-ballot review meeting scheduled for May 7 at 2:00 PM and the formal certification meeting on May 8 at 2:00 PM. Track the running total at results.vote.wa.gov.

What changed this time

The district lowered the ask. The April measure requests $18.9 million over four years at a rate of $1.01 per $1,000 of assessed value — down from the $1.28 rate that voters rejected twice in 2025. On a $400,000 North Mason home, that is roughly $33 per month, compared with about $43 per month at the prior rate.

The district also eliminated two administrative positions and cut another $1.3 million from the operating budget before the vote — a direct response to community feedback that earlier campaigns had not gone far enough on the spending side. Combined with roughly $4.5 million in cuts that followed the second 2025 defeat, North Mason has trimmed substantially more than $5 million from its operations in less than 18 months.

“We are very pleased and encouraged by these preliminary results, and we will be monitoring closely as ballots continue to be counted and certified,” Superintendent Dr. Kristine Michael said on election night. “If this outcome holds, it reflects the trust this community is placing in our schools and our students.”

What the levy actually pays for

Replacement levies in Washington fund the things state basic-education dollars do not cover: school nurses, counselors, safety officers, athletics, music, Advanced Placement courses, custodians, after-school programs, and curriculum materials. North Mason has been operating without levy funding in 2026 — a situation almost no comparably sized district in the Puget Sound region has had to navigate.

The day-to-day evidence has been visible at North Mason High School and the middle school all year: thinner athletic schedules, reduced extracurriculars, fewer support staff in the buildings, and curriculum decisions made under tight constraints. The Bulldogs’ spring sports season has continued, but families have absorbed more of the cost.

The catch: passage doesn’t reverse 2026

Even if certification holds, the money does not arrive immediately. The first levy revenue would not flow to the district until April 2027 at the earliest. That timing means programs already cut — including the two administrative positions and the $1.3 million in operating reductions — will not be restored for the 2026-27 school year.

“Those funds would allow us to avoid making additional reductions, but because we are operating with only a partial year of levy revenue even in a passage scenario, we would not be in a position to restore programs or positions already reduced,” Michael said in a statement issued before the vote.

That nuance matters for families who voted yes expecting a quick rebound. The realistic frame is: passage stabilizes the floor and prevents another round of cuts. Restoration of what was lost is a longer conversation that depends on enrollment, state funding formulas, and the district’s reserve position by the time levy money lands.

Why this vote was different

North Mason had not just lost a levy — it had lost two. The February 2025 measure missed the threshold. The fall 2025 attempt failed again. Each defeat tightened the district’s operating posture, and each round of cuts changed the conversation. By April 2026, the choice in front of voters was no longer abstract; it was a referendum on a school district that had been visibly bleeding.

The district responded by listening. Lower rate. Fewer administrators. More transparent reporting on where the money goes. Whether that read as humility or as accountability depended on the voter — but the ballots suggest a meaningful share of the electorate that voted no in 2025 was willing to vote yes in 2026 once the ask was reframed.

What to watch this week

Three things will determine whether the 53.5% lead holds. First, the late-arriving ballots: in Mason County’s recent history, late-counted votes tend to drift slightly more progressive on tax measures, which would help — but the margin in this race is narrow enough that a swing is possible. Second, the challenged-ballot review on May 7. Third, certification on May 8, after which the result is final.

School board members Arla Shephard Bull, Leanna Krotzer, Erik Youngberg, Nicole González Timmons, and Nicholas Thomas will be working through what passage means for the 2026-27 budget cycle. Their next meetings — held at the district office at 250 E. Campus Drive in Belfair — will be the first public window into what stabilization looks like.

For now: results are leading, not certified. The community that just put two defeats behind it has reason to be cautiously optimistic and every reason to keep watching.

Frequently Asked Questions

Did the North Mason School District levy pass on April 28, 2026?

The levy is leading with 53.50% yes votes (2,130 to 1,851) in early returns from the Mason and Kitsap county auditors. Results are not certified. The Mason County Canvassing Board will certify on May 8, 2026, after a challenged-ballot review on May 7.

How much will the North Mason levy cost a homeowner?

The April 2026 levy is set at $1.01 per $1,000 of assessed value — about $33 per month on a $400,000 North Mason home. That is lower than the $1.28 rate attached to the two failed 2025 measures.

When will levy money actually reach North Mason schools if the result is certified?

The first revenue would arrive no earlier than April 2027. That means programs already cut — including two administrative positions and $1.3 million in other reductions made before the April 2026 vote — will not be restored for the 2026-27 school year.

What programs does the North Mason levy fund?

Replacement levies fund items state basic-education dollars do not cover: school nurses, counselors, safety officers, athletics, music, Advanced Placement courses, custodians, after-school programs, and curriculum materials.

Where can I track the official North Mason levy results?

The official source is the Washington Secretary of State results portal at results.vote.wa.gov/results/20260428/mason/. The Mason County Auditor’s elections page at masoncountywa.gov mirrors the certified totals.

What happens if the lead doesn’t hold through certification?

If the levy fails certification, North Mason would face a third consecutive defeat and would continue operating without levy funding through 2026 and beyond, almost certainly triggering another round of program cuts heading into 2026-27.