North Mason School Levy Passes — What It Means, What It Doesn’t, and What Comes Next

The Vote

North Mason School District’s four-year education programs and operations (EP&O) replacement levy passed in the April 28, 2026 special election. The Mason County Auditor’s Office reported the following preliminary totals across both Mason and Kitsap counties:

Source: Shelton-Mason County Journal, April 30, 2026

This was the third attempt after the levy failed twice in 2025 — in February (46.17% yes) and again in a subsequent election. The district lowered the tax rate for this third proposal to $1.01 per $1,000 of assessed value for 2027–2030, down from $1.28/$1.24/$1.21/$1.17 in the two failed proposals.

What Superintendent Michael Said

Superintendent Kristine Michael responded to the preliminary results Tuesday night. The Shelton-Mason County Journal quoted her directly: “We are very pleased and encouraged by these preliminary results, and we will be monitoring closely as ballots continue to be counted and certified. If this outcome holds, it reflects the trust this community is placing in our schools and our students. I do not take that trust lightly, and I will continue working to restore and strengthen the community’s confidence in our schools.”

What the Levy Funds — and What It Doesn’t Fix Right Away

This is where parents and community members need to read carefully. Passage of the levy does not undo the cuts that already happened.

The district made $3 million in cuts at the end of the 2025–26 school year after the levy expired at the end of 2025. Those cuts hit athletics, student activities, and staff positions directly. The levy’s replacement funding will not arrive until April 2027 at the earliest — Superintendent Michael confirmed this timeline with the Journal before the election.

Michael was explicit about what that means even in a passage scenario: “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.”

In plain terms: the levy passing stops the bleeding, but it does not reverse it. Programs and positions already cut are not automatically restored. The district will need to work through its budget process for the 2027–28 school year before any restoration decisions are made.

What the Levy Rate Means for Property Owners

At $1.01 per $1,000 of assessed value, a home assessed at $400,000 would pay approximately $404 per year — or about $33.67 per month — toward the levy for 2027 through 2030. This is the lowest rate of the three proposals the district has put to voters.

The History Behind This Vote

North Mason has a difficult levy history. The district experienced two EP&O failures in 2020, which triggered significant budget cuts then as well. The current levy that expired replaced the one approved barely — at 50.3% — in 2021. The two 2025 failures set the stage for the $3 million in cuts that went into effect this school year, and for the third attempt at a lower rate that passed April 28.

What to Watch Next

• May 8, 2026: Mason County Auditor Canvassing Board meets at 2:00 PM to certify the election. Official certified results will be posted to the Mason County Auditor elections page.
• 2026–27 school year: The district operates without full levy revenue. No program restorations expected this year.
• April 2027: Earliest date levy funds begin flowing to the district.
• 2027–28 budget process: The first realistic opportunity for the school board to consider restoring cut programs and positions, subject to budget conditions at that time.

For ongoing North Mason School District updates, the district’s official communications are at northmasonschools.org. Election results and certification status are at the Mason County Auditor’s Office.