LPOSD narrows down levy options
SANDPOINT — After hearing seven supplemental levy amount proposals from Superintendent Shawn Woodward, Lake Pend Oreille School District trustees narrowed it down to two possible dollar amounts Monday night.
The first proposal, which was not favored by trustees, displayed the maximum requests as presented by each of the district's department heads over the past several weeks at $9,010,045 per year.
Maximum requests per year, by department, include:
• Curriculum/professional development: $453,500
• Maintenance: $430,376
• Student activities: $331,651
• Technology: $539,472
• Full-time certified nursing assistant: $19,700
• Two additional counselors: $120,000
• Staffing: $200,000
• Facilities fund: $50,000
• Clark Fork Junior/Senior High School learning track program: $20,000
• Instrument repair: $10,000
• Public records: $5,000
• Full-day kindergarten: $270,000
The second proposal was the preference of trustees Joan Fish, Matt Mire and Purley Decker at $8,690,045 per year, for a two-year levy amount of $17,380,090. This would decrease the maximum requested dollar amount by $330,000.
In Woodward's second proposal, he again listed all of the maximum requests from the first proposal, but crossed out full-day kindergarten and one additional counselor, but those are only suggestions. The money could be reallocated to take from other departments and give back to the areas Woodward crossed out. All three of the trustees who preferred this option expressed an interest in seeing the numbers reallocated to include full-day kindergarten.
The current levy, which expires June 30, has a two-year dollar amount of $15,767,484. The cost to taxpayers with a home valued at $100,000 is $176 per year.
If the district were to choose the second proposal at $17,380,090 over the next two years, it would cost taxpayers an estimated $189 the first year and $183 the second year, due to annual growth of net taxable value in the district.
Board chairman Steve Youngdahl and vice-chair Geraldine Lewis expressed a preference to Woodward's third proposal of $8,315,345 for a two-year total of $16,630,690.
"My want is proposal one," Youngdahl said. "... But in an effort to try to make this as lean as we possibly can without losing anything, it feels like three is going to be as close as we can get; however, I would like to see a different mix."
To eliminate an additional $364,700 per year from the maximum requests, Woodward crossed out eight department requests in the third proposal, including instrument repair, additional counselors, facilities fund, staffing, Clark Fork's track program, certified nursing assistant, public records and full-day kindergarten. Curriculum, student activities and technology amounts were lowered as well. As with the second proposal, if the district were to choose the dollar amount in the third proposal, the funds could be reallocated.
Woodward will return at the next meeting with several variations of the second and third proposals, showing different options reallocating amounts for each department request.
The supplemental levy, which covers one-third of the district's operations, goes to voters March 14.
Youngdahl said anyone with comments, questions or suggestions should contact any of the trustees; contact information is listed on the district's website at lposd.org/board-of-trustees. All department presentations regarding the levy are also located on the district's website.
The next meeting is scheduled with an early meeting time of 5 p.m. Dec. 13 at the Ponderay Events Center.