The ballots for the Feb. 9 General Election have been counted. There were 5,096 ballots submitted, a voter turnout of 42.4 percent.

Orcas Island School Dist #137 Proposition No. 1 Replacement Educational Maintenance and Operations Levy passed with 69.99 percent of voters voting yes, a total of 1,096 votes.

The levy provides nearly 25 percent of the school district’s annual budget: 30 percent of teacher salaries, 90 percent of music and athletic program funding, 75 of classified staff salaries (librarians, paraeducators, clerical and maintenance staff), 65 percent of English-language learners and staff training and 25 percent of special education are all maintained by the levy.

The proposed levy will take the place of an existing school levy. The current levy is at 91 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value. The new levy will start in 2017 and breaks down as follows: year one, 93 cents; year two and three, 89 cents; year four, 88 cents.

Orcas Island Park & Recreation District Proposition No. 1, concerning Park & Recreation funding passed with 68.62 percent of voters voting yes, a total of 1,028 votes.

The new levy is 15 cents per $1000 of assessed property value and replaces the old levy of 9 cents. It will start in 2017 and go for six years. Sixty percent approval was required to pass the measure.

“Buck Park land was a gift to Orcas Island from the Buck family. State money developed the park. Caring for it properly is our legacy to Orcas Island and future generations,” wrote Rec Commissioner Martha Farish in the “pro” statement published in the voters’ pamphlet.

The park and rec district, which has been in operation for nearly four years, offers year-round activities for youth and adults in sports, art, dance and science. Under the leadership of Director Marcia West, the district serves 1600 participants annually. This past fall, OIPRD logged more than 1,000 hours of volunteer time from community members. The six-year budget and refurbishment plans are available at http://orcasparkandrec.org/.