BILLINGS – A $970,000 operational Billings high school levy is headed for passage in the 2019 Yellowstone County school election Tuesday.
“We’re excited to say the least,” Billings School District 2 Superintendent Greg Upham said after hearing the results.
The levy was leading 53% to 46% at 8 p.m. Tuesday, with 33,528 total ballots returned to the Yellowstone County Elections office by 8 p.m.
Under provisions of the new levy, the owner of a $200,000 home in Billings would pay an extra $10.04 per year in property tax.
This would be the first operational high school levy passed in Billings in 12 years.
“We’re humbled by the community support. Now the work begins,” Upham said.
The $970,000 would allow Billings School District 2 to purchase new textbooks and classroom materials for the Billings high schools. It will also allow the district to hire four additional career counselors to help students develop career pathways.
Upham said the Billings high schools will see the effects of the levy next school year in the fall of 2019.
“We know where we want to go with it,” Upham said. “And we also know what we want to do with our career counselors. It will be a matter of just beginning the work.”
For Upham and his staff, the work begins tomorrow.
“We start choosing instructional materials and updating those,” Upham said. “I just told our curriculum director that he had better stay up a bit later tonight, because you’ve got some work to do!”
For full updated results for all Yellowstone County school elections, click here.
