OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) - More than a week after the election, a constitutional amendment to allow simple-majority approval of local school levies, rather than a 60 percent supermajority, appears headed for a narrow victory, Washington education leaders said Wednesday.

Late tallies, including a surge in "yes" votes from King County, gave HJR4104 an 11,000-vote lead, with an estimated 43,000 ballots left to count, roughly half from King.

"It was a nailbiter, and it feels good to be on the positive side of 50 percent," said a relieved campaign director Bill Monto.

"It's a real celebration!" exulted Mary Lindquist, president of the Washington Education Association. "We are currently at 50.23 percent approval statewide."

The apparent victory was doubly sweet, given the strong anti-tax mood of the electorate, she said.

"We knew it would be a tough crowd, but when push comes to shove, this sends a clear message that voters in this state believe in their public schools and are willing to support them."

Anti-tax leader Tim Eyman said the inevitable result of a lower approval threshold will be higher property taxes.

The measure trailed on election night Nov. 6, but on Wednesday led by 6,515 votes out of more than 1.5 million cast. The vote, 50.22 percent in favor and 49.78 percent opposed, was too close for election officials to call, with an estimated 50,000 ballots to be counted.

Sponsors, though, said the margin should continue to grow as final absentee ballots are counted, particularly in King County, where the measure had a winning margin of over 68,000 votes, or more than 58 percent, as of Wednesday.

The constitutional amendment also led in Jefferson, San Juan, Snohomish, Spokane, Thurston, Whatcom and Whitman counties.

The last-minute voters who mailed in their ballot at the eleventh hour, are apparently voting overwhelmingly in favor. The measure had a 46 percent vote election night and appeared dead. Support for the amendment built up with each bach of mail votes counted. Late Tuesday night, the supporting votes outnumbered the opposing votes late for the first time.

Monto said it doesn't seem mathematically possible that the lead will evaporate. The election will be certified on Nov. 27. If certified, the rules for school levies will change next year.

Monto credited the come-from-behind surge to get-out-the-vote telephone calls to voters who were identified as traditional supporters of school measures.

"We had more than 6,000 volunteers who worked to contact 350,000 voters," he said in an interview.

Monto said that since 2000, 37 levies have rolled up 59 percent majorities, only to fail, requiring expensive and time-consuming follow up campaigns and elections. On the average, districts rely on property tax levies for 16 percent of their budgets, he said.

"Simple majority is not a panacea, but it is one good step to help education," he said. "This is important to keep funding stable so we can move on to the bigger question of adequate support for education from the state Legislature.

"This (simple majority) will be an important and historic victory."

Senate Education Chairwoman Rosemary McAuliffe, D-Bothell, said the vote shows Washington voters view education as their No. 1 priority.

"It's obviously a close vote, but I'm happy the voters have spoken," she said.

Sen. Tracey Eide, D-Federal Way, a perennial sponsor of the simple-majority legislation, called it "one more tool to help us give our kids the very best education possible.

"I'm thrilled the voters have spoken and our schools will now be on equal election footing with fire districts, sports arenas and jails."

Sponsors raised $3 million for the campaign.

"There's no other way to look at it, the children of Washington state are the winners today," Lindquist said.

If the kids are the winners, could property owners be the losers? Will property taxes go up? The answer is no at least around the Puget Sound, as there's a lid on levies. Seattle, Bellevue and most others in the Puget Sound area already levy at the max.

Districts substantially under the max include Monroe, Riverview and Renton as well as two Kitsap County districts: South and Central Kitsap.

"This is going to make it easier to raise your property taxes. It's not going to improve education," said Sen. Janea Holmquist, R-Moses Lake.

Eyman, whose anti-tax Initiative 960 passed, agreed.

"Instead of asking for $300 million, they'll ask for $400 million, since it will be a lot easier to pass," he said, adding that a property-tax revolt could result, particularly if lawmakers don't restore a 1 percent cap on annual property tax growth.

"I would say to be careful what you wish for," because a backlash could develop if taxes soar. "People will say `Let me at the nearest incumbent and I'll vote against them all."'

The state Supreme Court last week threw out Eyman-sponsored I-747, the 1 percent cap, and Gov. Chris Gregoire and some legislative Democrats have committed to restoring it this winter. Eyman and Republican lawmakers and gubernatorial contender Dino Rossi want an emergency legislative session this month.

Renton will be on the ballot in February and its levy will be increased to the max -- a jump of about 13 percent and about $3 million in new money.

The President of the Renton Education Association Phyllis Silling said passage of 4204 will "ensure that we will be able to pass our levies with a 50-percnet plus one majority and that means just better schools, better materials, more teachers for our students."

Renton schools spokesperson Randy Matheson said the decision to aim for the max preceded passage of the constitutional amendment. However, he added, a simple majority would help.

"Passing a levy at 50 percent rather than 60 is certainly going to be easier," he said.

But homeowners in Renton apparently won't get stuck with a higher tax bill.

A massive new development called the Landing is adding so much value to the tax rolls that even with a $3 million increase in the school levy, the amount homeowners pay should go down.

The biggest impact could be in Eastern Washington, where a large number of district could find it easier to pass larger levies. But the President of the School Administrators Association said districts there know how taxpayers feel and he does not expect any major increases.