Battle Ground School Levy Fails for Third Time

District faces $20 million in budget cuts as voters reject proposed tax increase.

Published on Feb. 11, 2026

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Battle Ground Public Schools' replacement educational programs and operations levy was failing in early election returns on Tuesday night, with 51.53% of voters rejecting the $189.51 million, four-year levy that would have set a tax rate of $1.99 per $1,000 of assessed property value. This marks the third time the district has failed to pass a levy, forcing it to plan for $20 million in budget cuts.

Why it matters

School levies are crucial for funding basic educational programs and operations in many districts, and repeated failures can lead to significant cuts that impact students. Battle Ground Public Schools has now failed to pass a levy three times, highlighting the district's financial challenges and the difficulty of garnering voter support for tax increases, even for essential public services.

The details

The replacement levy received 11,283 'no' votes (51.53%) compared to 10,614 'yes' votes (48.47%), according to Clark County's elections office. Levies require a simple majority to pass. Battle Ground Superintendent Shelly Whitten said the district will now have to plan for $20 million in budget cuts, despite hoping the levy would pass.

  • The election took place on February 11, 2026.
  • This was Battle Ground Public Schools' third attempt at passing a replacement levy.

The players

Battle Ground Public Schools

The public school district serving the city of Battle Ground, Washington.

Shelly Whitten

The superintendent of Battle Ground Public Schools.

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What they’re saying

“We've been in this place before, so we know that this is a percentage that is unlikely to get us past the finish line, but we'll continue to hope. In the meantime, we will plan as though we need to cut $20 million from our budget and get some input on how to do that.”

— Shelly Whitten, Superintendent (columbian.com)

The takeaway

The repeated failure of Battle Ground Public Schools to pass a replacement levy highlights the ongoing challenges many districts face in securing voter approval for essential funding, even as they grapple with rising costs and the need to maintain quality educational programs. The district now must make difficult budget cuts that could impact students, underscoring the importance of community support for public schools.