The Renton School District’s $97 million school-improvement bond measure has won approval.

The trend since the initial count in Tuesday’s special election has been to add votes to the yes column. On Friday, the count stood at 60.55 to approve the measure vs. 39.45 percent to reject it. In numbers, that’s 10,277 to 6,696.

“I am thrilled,” said Renton schools Superintendent Mary Alice Heuschel.

The number of new mail ballots received each day continues to drop. Thursday, the county elections office received 16 new ballots. And the Friday tally includes nearly all the ballots that had been received as of Thursday evening.

The turnout is about 30 percent of the 56,637 voters in the Renton School District, which extends outside the city limits.

The election result will be validated on April 27.

The bond measure fell just shy of the 60 percent approval in February’s special election. The Renton School Board acted quickly to place it on the April ballot.

The next stop is for the planning to begin on the projects that proceeds from the bond measure – “Building for a Lifetime of Learning” school improvement bond – will pay for.

Construction of a much-needed middle school is the big-ticket item. It will open in 2016. Other improvements are planned to district buildings and to the swimming pool at Lindbergh High School.

“The impact of the positive opportunities for Renton kids is tremendous,” said Heuschel. “Being able to provide quality learning spaces, coupled with high-quality teachers, we are going to have great success.”

And that will happen, she said, “because this community supports its public schools.”

The county will continue to post results next week.