Athena-Weston School District awaits election results about bond
By Terry Murry on Wednesday, May 20th, 2026 in Columbia Basin News Columbia Basin Top Stories
ATHENA WESTON – (News release from AWSD) Athena-Weston School District (AWSD) is awaiting the final results of the May 19 election regarding the district’s General Obligation bond. As of Wednesday, May 20, the bond was passing with 532 (52.26%) YES votes and 486 (47.74%) NO votes.
According to Umatilla County Elections, ballots that were postmarked on or before Election Day may arrive in the next few days. Official certification of the election results will occur no sooner than 22 days or no later than 27 days after Election Day. According to election law, the bond will pass with a simple majority vote, which is 50% of the votes counted plus one additional vote.
“We’re watching the results closely and remain optimistic,” said School Board Chair Tim Seymour. “Whatever the final count shows, we’re grateful to every voter who participated and remain committed to improving our facilities for the long-term benefit of our students.”
Seymour, along with Superintendent Ann Vescio, emphasized that the bond was a multi-year effort. They would like to thank the Community Bond Advisory Committee (CBAC), school board members, district administrators, members of the district facility and business departments, teachers, staff, Citizens for AW Schools, Wenaha Group and IMESD Communications for all their work.
“All of us at the district appreciate the collaborative effort and teamwork it has taken to evaluate facilities, develop projects and inform our community about this bond. We appreciate everyone who worked on it, and we appreciate the voters for making their voices heard,” Vescio said.
Editor’s note: Initial reports had the bond measure losing by a mere 8 votes. That changed in a later count.
