According to the count Tuesday night, 50.21 percent of voters approved the new tax, while 49.79 percent voted against it.
State law also prohibits local boards of elections from counting provisional and late-arriving absentee ballots until seven days after the election, so those ballots also might affect the final count.
The renewal of the existing 7.08-mill, five-year operating levy, was approved by a much wider margin — more than 63 percent of voters were for the renewal that provides $1.8 million for the district annually.
The additional five-year operating levy would generate about $1.2 million annually and allow the district to avoid a projected operating deficit of about $300,000 in fiscal year 2016, school leaders said.
Voters rejected an identical additional tax issue in May by 56 votes.
“These levies are critical to preserving the excellent education offered to Greenon students and we are grateful that the community recognized that,” Superintendent Dan Bennett said in a statement.
The district is hopeful that the results will remain in favor of the new levy after the recount and addition of any provisional ballots, Communications Coordinator Megan Anthony said.
The district implemented more than $300,000 of cuts after the May election, including eliminating five teaching positions, and Anthony said the board will examine whether any of those positions or cut programming can be reinstated next year.
“While the approval of the levies on Tuesday’s ballot significantly improves the district’s financial outlook, the Board of Education takes its responsibility to protect the taxpayers’ investment in the community’s schools very seriously,” board President Dennis Henry said in a statement.
At Enon Primary School Tuesday evening, voters were split on the tax issue as they cast their ballots.
“My wallet isn’t getting any bigger to support my property taxes, so they need to find a different way,” said Sherry Haggerty, who along with her husband, Kit, voted against both measures.
Others said the schools need support from taxpayers to ensure quality education.
“It’s sort of embarrassing to look at the high school of all the other schools that are so nice, and then there’s Greenon,” said Barb Kinard, who said she voted in favor of both levies.
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