PORT ORCHARD — By a 4-1 vote at its Wednesday night regular meeting, South Kitsap School District’s board of directors approved placing a four-year education and operations replacement levy before voters in a Feb. 9 special election.

The current levy, which expires at the end of next year, would be replaced by the new levy. The replacement measure would keep into place the current rate of $2.50 per $1,000 of assessed property value.

Four of the board members — John Berg, Rebecca Diehl, Eric Gattenby and Liz Sebren — voted in favor of the resolution. Board member Jeff Daily cast the only negative vote.

Berg opposed the resolution at the board’s Nov. 18 meeting, saying district property owners deserved a financial break because of the COVID-19 pandemic economic fallout. But he fell in line with the other members affirming the need for maintaining the $2.50 assessment level, saying he would “cheerfully assist in carrying it out.”

Daily, who was the sole dissenter, had earlier proposed a lower rate of $2 per $1,000 of assessed value, to be followed later by an increased rate of 25 cents per $1,000, if needed.

The school board also voted to retain Gattenby as president and elevate Berg as vice president, replacing Sebren. With the exception of Daily — who abstained in both cases — the remaining four approved the changes.