Teachers’ salaries will be paid for, but the buildings they teach in won’t be brand new.

And least for now.

Orcas voters approved the school’s maintenance and operations levy measure, but a $35 million school construction bond earned 55 percent support, shy of the 60 percent super majority needed for approval.

“Let’s hope there isn’t an earthquake in the next few months,” school board member Janet Brownell said. “We’ll start campaigning now for the next election. The entire school board is committed to passing this bond.”

The board hasn’t decided whether the bond measure will go before voters again in April, May, August or November. That decision will be made at the board’s next meeting on Feb. 25 at 5:30 p.m. in the school library.

The new levy will raise the rate from 27 cents to 61 cents per $1000 assessed property value. It was passed with more than 67 percent of the vote (yes: 1266, no: 603). The levy will produce an estimated $1.7 million for the district in 2011, which will be used for staff, transportation, maintenance, food service, and extra-curricular activities.

The $35 million capital projects bond measure drew a 55 percent majority (yes: 1026, no: 834). Sixty percent is required for approval. The bond rate would have gone from 37 cents to 72 cents. The money would fund construction of several new buildings, including the middle school facility, which includes the cafeteria, wood shop, library, music room and other classrooms. Major repairs are also needed in the elementary and high schools, the old gym and other school property.

Superintendent Barbara Kline was pleased the levy passed, but is not giving up on the bond.

“We need to know what happened,” Kline said. “We need to find out what we did not do. I suspect people didn’t know enough.”