Hundreds of millions of dollars are on the May 20 ballot in the form of public school bonds and levies.
The big picture: Bonds and levies are critical to school success because the Idaho Legislature does not provide enough funding to meet the needs of the state’s public schools. But the votes are an especially big ask in a year when consumer confidence is at a low and lower-income voters are tightening their belts.
• At least three bonds and 25 levies are up for a vote.
• The number of bonds and levies undermines Rep. Wendy Horman’s (R-Idaho Falls) assertion that the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee added $400 million in new money to the state’s public education budget.
What schools are asking for: The Shelley School District is making the biggest ask: A $78 million bond to deal with their bursting-at-the-seams schools. Whitepine School District is asking for the least amount of funding: $880,000 for staff salaries and benefits.
North Idaho has the most at stake: Lakeland School District will lose 25 jobs even if its levy passes. Boundary County School District will lose 24 jobs and extracurricular funding. And the West Bonner School District has said a failed levy could lead to two school closures.
• As Idaho Education News reported last year, 18 of the 20 districts that rely the most on levies are in North Idaho.
• North Idaho schools must compete with neighboring Montana and Washington for educators, and those states often pay more.
• The region’s demographics are changing, too, with high numbers of people moving there from out-of-state, including more retirees and people ideologically opposed to taxes.
• But the number of students grows, so do districts’ needs — and North Idaho continues to grow even as the rest of the state’s population stabilizes.
The bottom line: Turnout matters. Lakeland’s last levy failed by a heartbreakingly razor-thin margin — 50.6% to 49.4%.
What you can do: See if there is a local bond or levy on the ballot in your area by checking the list below — and then vote (and tell your colleagues, friends and family to vote) on May 20. Check your voter registration status here.
Did we miss something? If your bond or levy isn’t on this list, please send the info to jsarasqueta@idahoea.org.
Bonds
Levies
Boundary County School District
Highland Joint School District
Horseshoe Bend School District
Meadows Valley School District
