Officials from the Kent and Tahoma school districts breathed a collective sigh of relief last week as levies for both passed.

Both districts had levies on the Feb. 9 special election ballot to support operations and educational programs, which accounts for close to 20 percent of their budgets, as well as technology measures. The levies were renewals of existing levies set to expire at the end of this year.

For Kent officials, the key word was “grateful.”

“We’re grateful and we’re proud of our work on the campaign,” said Dennis Higgins, chair of Citizens for Kent Schools. “It seems like voters recognized the school board and school administrators tried to be responsible in this tough environment.”

Each measure requires a simple majority for passage.

Superintendent Edward Lee Vargas called the levy “critical.”

“A big thank you,” he said Wednesday.

School Board president Debbie Straus also said she was “grateful for community support” and said the passage of the levies, especially the M and O levy was critical for the school system.

“It means we can continue to operate and give kids access,” Straus said of the district’s programs.

She added the technology levy allows the district to continue to provide equal access to technology for all students, something only the schools can provide in a district with wide-ranging economic diversity.

Straus also thanked all of the volunteers who worked on the campaign.

According to Higgins, Citizens for Kent Schools, sent more than 20,000 mailers, put out 500 signs and made more than 21,000 phone calls urging residents to support the levy.

Higgins said it was nice to see the entire school community work together after the contentiousness of this past fall’s teacher strike.

“It was really a tribute to the teachers, administrators and community members,” he said. “They all came together. I think it says great things about the Kent community.”

In Tahoma, Erin Weaver, co-chair of the VOTE committee, said the passage of the levies was “just wonderful news.”

Weaver, who also serves on the Maple Valley City Council, was at a special council meeting interviewing applicants for a vacancy on the board. During a break Councilman Layne Barnes looked up the election results on his BlackBerry smartphone shortly after the initial numbers had been posted.

“We are very happy that the levies passed and that the community is obviously supporting our schools,” Weaver said. “It was a big group of people that helped pass this.”

Weaver said the early support of the Maple Valley-Black Diamond Chamber of Commerce and the involvement of passionate volunteers who talked to their neighbors, distributed flyers and manned the phones was critical to the committee’s ability to get the word out about the levies.

“To get that kind of community support and volunteerism to go out and work hard on this,” she said. “It’s extremely humbling to know there are so many people out there who were willing to make this happen.”

Didem Pierson, chair of the Tahoma School District Board of Directors, expressed the same sentiments of gratitude Kent officials did.

“From my own personal point of view, I am very thankful that our community chose to support our students and once again showed their commitment to valuing quality education,” Pierson said via e-mail.