Class sizes will not increase in the Issaquah district next year, and although the Renton district has not yet determined whether it will need to increase class sizes, officials said they hope not to.

Laying off teachers is also an option, but Renton district spokesman Randy Matheson said it is one district officials hope to avoid.

“Our intent is not to do either of those things,” Matheson said.

He said district officials will need to discuss the situation with its unionized employees. Alternatives to cutting pay could include reducing the money the district stows away in its emergency savings or leaving open positions unfilled.

“We’ve got some things to come to the table with, but we’ve got to have those discussions,” Matheson said.

The state Legislature approved the budget May 24.

After reviewing the budget for the past four months, the state House of Representatives and Senate approved a compromise budget that would lower the salaries of teachers and administrators, but would save the jobs of many district teachers.

Gov. Chris Gregoire has yet to sign the bill.

Issaquah district administrators had to renew teachers’ contracts by May 15. Unsure of the final budget, they came up with a worse-case scenario plan that included layoffs for 36 teachers. The plan also axed the positions of 15 teachers leaving through attrition, bringing the total number of teacher reductions to 51.

Under the compromise budget, the district is able to place those 36 teachers on a recall list. Laid off teachers will receive a recall if there is a demand for the class they teach.

“I can only recall back folks to teaching positions that are there, where there’s an opening,” Issaquah district Executive Director of Personnel Services Kathy Miyauchi said.

Staffing depends on student enrollment and registration, as well as employee shuffling within the district.

As for teachers leaving through normal attrition, the district will replace them on an as-needed basis, Miyauchi said.

Officials usually have staffing squared away by the last day of school, but because the Legislature finished the budget two months late, the district is running behind. Staff members will work throughout summer to complete the hires.

A similar situation played out in 2009, when the Legislature took longer than scheduled to complete its 2009-11 budget. Then, the Issaquah district laid off 158 teachers, but recalled all but one — a teacher administrators were able to recall the following year, Miyauchi said.

Though more teachers’ jobs are safe for next year, they are slated to receive a pay cut.

The most significant cuts affect salary apportionment and staffing ratios, Issaquah district spokeswoman Sara Niegowski said.

Certified and classified staff members in both districts would experience a 1.9 percent decrease in base salary allocations; certificated administrators would see a 3 percent decrease in base salary allocations.

The compromise also eliminates the enhancement to keep kindergarten through fourth-grade classes smaller and increases pension-rate contributions by 2 percent, Niegowski added.

Even with the kindergarten through fourth-grade cuts, the Issaquah district will keep the average elementary school class size the same as this year.

The compromise budget includes $4.3 million in cuts to the Issaquah district and $4.2 million in cuts to the Renton district for each of the next two years.

The Issaquah district is working to fill gaps with its local maintenance and operations levy. Lawmakers approved a measure to allow districts to increase the levy lid — the amount they can levy — by 4 percent, bringing Issaquah’s levy lid to 28.97 percent.

That doesn’t mean the Issaquah district is able to collect more than its voters approved; the district can either collect the amount voters approved, or the amount the levy lid allows, whichever is lower.

In an email sent to staff members May 26, Issaquah Superintendent Steve Rasmussen outlined the areas where the district is cutting back.

“In fact, the increased levy dollars are significantly responsible for filling the 2011-12 budget gap,” he wrote. “Other offsetting factors include more operational efficiencies, decreased nonclassroom service levels, utilization of reserve funds, increased fees for families, reallocation of overload funding, and continued reliance on organizations such as the PTSA and Issaquah Schools Foundation to help fund critical district and school-level purchases.”

Incumbent Democrat state representative Judy Clibborn — who represents the 41st Legislative District, which includes Newcastle — trounced novice Republican candidate Stephen Strader 57 percent to 43 percent in initial election results released Tuesday night.

The race for the other 41st District House seat remained tighter on Election Day. Incumbent Democrat Marcie Maxwell pulled in 51.1 percent to 48.8 percent for Republican Peter Dunbar, a Mercer Island physician.

Democrat Randy Gordon — who was appointed to the 41st District Senate seat in January after Fred Jarrett resigned to become deputy King County executive — trailed Republican Steve Litzow, a Mercer Island city councilman, as Election Day ended. Gordon garnered 47 percent; Litzow 53 percent.

The measure to increase the King County sales tax rate to pay for criminal justice services trailed in early returns and a state liquor-privatization measure lagged.

Republican Dino Rossi, a Sammamish resident and former Issaquah state senator, remained locked in a tight race against incumbent U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, Democrat in a close fight for a fourth term.

Republican Congressman Dave Reichert held off a spirited challenge from Democrat Suzan DelBene to represent Issaquah and the 8th Congressional District in the other Washington. DelBene conceded the race at a post-election party in Bellevue.

Donna Tucker outpaced Larry Mitchell in the race to be a King County District Court judge. Issaquah attorney John L. O’Brien trailed appointed Judge Michael Finkle in the other race to sit on the Northeast Division bench.

The initial tally from King County Elections at 8:15 p.m. Tuesday included more than 365,000 ballots received, processed and counted on Election Day.

Find a complete list of county results here and statewide results here. Expect the next round of county results to be released at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Proposition 1, the county measure to raise the sales tax rate to 2 cents per $10 purchase, appeared to be headed for defeat; 56 percent of voters decided against the tax proposal. Initiative 1100, the Costco-backed measure to privatize the state-run liquor system, trailed in a closer contest Tuesday night.

The statewide trade association for the commercial construction industry has named state Rep. Judy Clibborn as Legislator of the Year.

Clibborn, a four-term Democrat and former Mercer Island mayor, represents Talus, southwest Issaquah and Cougar Mountain communities as part of the 41st Legislative District.

Gene Colin, government affairs council chairman for Associated General Contractors, said Clibborn “gets it.”

“She understands that an efficient and adequate transportation system is good for the economy and the environment,” Colin said in a news release.

Clibborn is the chairwoman of the powerful House Transportation Committee. The trade association lauded Clibborn for helping to block legislation for added requirements to use subcontractors. The association described the measure as ill conceived and costly.

“Her contribution and support of our goals goes way beyond transportation,” Rick Slunaker, government affairs director for the group, said in the release. “Rep. Clibborn understands the importance of and has helped lead efforts to reform workers’ compensation laws and to save taxpayer dollars by opposing unworkable public contracting requirements.”

Clibborn, elected unopposed in 2008, is set to face Stephen Strader, a Bellevue Republican, or independent candidate Orion S. Webster in the Nov. 2 election. Voters will pick the top two candidates in the Tuesday primary.