With 90 percent of precincts reporting, Proposition S looked poised to pass Tuesday night with 56 percent of the vote.

Read previous Patch coverage here:

For the first time in six years, the Special School District of St. Louis County, which provides staffing for 22 school districts in the area in addition to the district's own schools, will ask voters to approve a tax levy increase that on a $100,000 house would equate to roughly $36 annually.

The increase of $0.19 would bring the overall tax levy to $1.19 per $100 assessed valuation.

Check back with Patch on Election Day for voting results as they come in.

District superintendent John Cary said for the first time in his more than 30 years in education, all sources of district revenue have gone down during the economic slowdown. As a result, the district has been cutting expenses and staff--between 75 and 100 positions annually over the past three years, Cary said.

If approved, funds would go toward technology programs, competitive teacher salaries and $85 million in needed building renovations at seven district buildings located in Ladue, Town and Country, Florissant, Sunset Hills and Crestwood. While the vast majority of the district's students are educated in their home school district, Cary said SSD faciliites have largely gone without significant upgrades for between 10-20 years. The largest single upgrade would come at Northview High School in Florissant, which needs $24.5 million to build a new school.

Autism related care seem to be what's driving the biggest need in the district. In 2000 district figures said there were 472 children with autism in district care. That number is now projected to be above 2700 in 2013.

Cary said the district had not yet identified contingencies for what might happen if the ballot question does not pass, noting that more community input would be needed. He said 80 percent of the district's budget is made up of staff, and that on the teacher side of things, the district needs to stay competitive on salaries because the pool of teachers certified to teach special education is smaller than the general population, and those teachers are often also certified to teach other subject areas, making it harder to keep them.