WBCSD officials to discuss levy options

PRIEST RIVER — West Bonner County School District officials will look at putting the supplemental levy back on the ballot for May after the March 12 initiative failed to pass.

“I think trying to run a permanent levy caused confusion among the voters,” said WBCSD Superintendent Paul Anselmo.

WBCSD’s two-year, $6 million request failed with 536 votes in favor, and 769 votes against the levy. There was a second question on the ballot as well, whether or not to make the $3 million per year request permanent, and while that measure failed with only 387 votes in favor and 900 against, the question was void either way with the failure of the levy. With only 1,308 total votes cast, the total voter turnout in West Bonner was 20.17 percent.

The WBCSD request would have replaced the current levy of the same amount that expires in June. WBCSD relies on the levy for 26 percent of its budget and covers areas such as the district’s general fund shortfall of $2,128,737 per year, as well as class fees, the school resource officer, technology supplies, library and school funds, and curriculum among others.

If both the levy and the permanent override had passed, the override would have allowed the district to levy up to $3 million each year without having to ask voters to approve it every two years unless they chose to increase the levy amount. School districts in Idaho are eligible for the override after seven consecutive years of voter-approved levies that account for more than 20 percent of the district’s general fund.

Anselmo said the board will discuss future actions during tonight’s board meeting. The proposed resolution in the board packet indicates district officials will not pursue the permanency request again. The levy request will remain the same at $6 million over two years.

“As a community we need to stand up for public education — these students are our future,” Anselmo said.

If the measure is approved by the board, and subsequently by the voters in May, the levy rate for taxpayers will go down due to the sale of lots at Priest Lake. The rates have been reduced to $1.47 per $1,000 of assessed property value, down from $1.76.

Tonight’s board meeting starts at 6 p.m. in the WBCSD office, 134 Main St, Priest River.

Two other levies in Bonner County were successful on March 12. The Lake Pend Oreille School District’s two-year, $25.4 million request passed with 3,391 votes in favor, and 2,643 votes against — a 31-percent voter turnout, also down from the 43-percent turnout in 2017. The LPOSD measure replaces the two-year, $17 million levy approved by voters in 2017, which expires in June. The levy funds approximately 30 percent of the district’s maintenance and operational costs, including technology, curriculum, all student activities, and bus acquisition.

The largest portion of the levy, the reason for the increase, will be dedicated to raising salaries. District officials recently engaged the community in a year-long strategic planning process that resulted in five priority areas, one of which was to recruit and retain highly effective staff. Superintendent Shawn Woodward said the goal is to make the district more competitive with Idaho’s regional schools, such as Coeur d’Alene and Post Falls to help meet that priority.

Under the current levy amount, the tax rate with an assessed value of $250,000 with a homeowner’s exemption is $20.75 per month. The replacement levy will increase that amount by $6.92 per month in 2020.

Lakeland Joint School District’s two-year. $8.99 million request also passed, although of the 10 votes cast in Bonner County, eight voted against the measure. Overall, it passed with 1,432 in favor and 921 against.

For Lakeland, the levy funds represent about 25 percent of the district’s general fund. Brian Wallace, the district’s finance director, said in December that the existing taxes will not increase upon approval of the levy. He estimated that, with a total assessed value of the district estimated to increase by 5 percent, the supplemental levy rate would go down to $2.71 per $1,000 taxable value in 2020, and $2.58 in 2021. The current rate is $2.85.

Lakeland’s supplemental levy funds help pay for maintenance and operations expenses, including all-day kindergarten, technology, all academic and athletic extracurricular activities, classroom materials, safety improvements, Advanced Learning Program opportunities and expansion of the vocational program.

Mary Malone can be reached by email at mmalone@bonnercountydailybee.com and follow her on Twitter @MaryDailyBee.