Voters all over eastern Idaho will be going to the polls Tuesday, March 10, to decide the fate of funding for 17 school districts.
In the Pocatello-Chubbuck School District, a simple majority will be necessary for passage of a $9.25 million per year supplemental levy for two years to replace the $8.5 million per year levy that expired this current school year.
In the Gate City, the existing levy accounted for 12.3 percent of the total operating budget of $60.9 million this year. If passed, the new levy would be nearly 14 percent of next year’s projected $65.6 million budget. The largest part of the district’s operating budget is for salaries and fringe benefits.
If it passes, the levy would cost property taxpayers $1.74 more per month for every $100,000 of taxable value compared to the existing levy.
To balance the current fiscal year budget, the district used $1.5 million in reserves that no longer exist, according to District 25 Director of Business Operations Bart Reed.
Despite having a $6 million supplemental levy in place in 2010, School District 25 was forced to furlough 9.5 teacher days from contracts and cut pay 4 percent which remains in place today.
And any percentages of teacher pay increases from the state are based on a statewide base of $23,354 even though the required minimum starting salary for teachers is $31,750. District’s have to make up the difference.
“The board was very conservative,” Superintendent Mary Vagner told the Pocatello Rotary about the $9.25 million levy for the next two years last month. “That decision was difficult to make.”
To really make the district’s financial situation stable with the ability to do things like update all textbooks, Vagner said the levy would have to be $10 million per year.
Vagner said the district has managed several important achievements despite operating on a tight budget with less state support than seven years ago. These include boosting graduation rates, having staff ready to adopt Idaho common core standards and helping seniors attract $10 million in scholarship money last May.
The Pocatello-Chubbuck Chamber of Commerce has endorsed the $9.25 million March 10 levy.
Polling places will be open in the same locations as last November’s general election and will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Pocatello-Chubbuck is far from the only district seeking voter approval of additional tax funding this coming Tuesday. Statewide, $393.3 million in bond issues and school levies will be on the ballot. A shift in state law approved by the legislature three years ago only allows school districts to hold levy elections on four dates per year: the second Tuesday in March, third Tuesday in May, last Tuesday in August and first Tuesday following the first Monday in November.
School districts have to establish budgets before the beginning of their new fiscal year each July 1.
Other levies in Southeast Idaho include:
Idaho Falls School District, which is going for a supplemental levy of $6.8 million per year for two years.
Bonneville School District, a $56.1 million bond issue which requires a 66.6 percent majority approval to build a new 1,500-student high school.
Soda Springs, a $798,000 one-year supplemental levy.
Blackfoot, a $2.6 million per year, two-year levy.
American Falls, a $2.4 million per year, two-year levy.
Bear Lake, a $800,000 per year, two-year levy.
Aberdeen, a $300,000 per year, two-year levy
Snake River, a $775,000 per year, two-year levy.
West Side, a $90,000 per year, two-year levy.
North Gem, a $200,000 per year, two-year levy.
In addition, the Oneida School District is hoping to get a super majority to approve a $12.5 million bond issue to build a new elementary school.
(12) comments
birdiet, you want people with a half brain to vote yes. So,,,, a full brain person should be voting no?
Again all property owners especially seniors, get out and vote NO. This does not rest on the vote, It rests on the back of property taxpayers. It is wrong for people with no skin in the game to force me and others to pay additional. VOTE NO, let these brilliant, over educated, over paid find a new solution.
Renters have skin in this game too. Landlords will not cover the increase out of the kindness of their heart; the rent is going to increase as well. I would also love to see our teachers get a raise; but I cannot support something that is not going to get our children the most basic thing they need in the classroom - books. They need that first and foremost. I'm very disappointed that the e-version of the textbooks is not available. Less money, everyone can access, and updated without having to purchase new ones. (yes different debate for a different day) I'm disappointed; I would love to vote yes on this - but the kids need to come first before I voluntarily hand over money.
I was planning on voting yes until I called district 25 and asked if they would be purchasing new books and was told it was $4.5 million to do so, and the answer was no. I asked point blank if ANY of the money would be used for books, and I was also told no, several times!! My high school student - AP classes - does not have books to bring home at night to study in ANY of his classes. In his history class he was allowed to "check out a book" to take home to study - and the book was so outdated I almost fell over. He told me they use the internet and the teacher discusses events that are not in the book. (thankful he has a wonderful teacher) I want education to improve here; I've lived in Idaho my whole life, have raised my children here, and plan to stay. That said, I cannot vote for an increase when the money is not allotted towards the bare-bone basics needed to improve it! BOOKS! Even if they cannot purchase a book for each student, they could at least update the 30 book classroom set being used now so the students can check out something that isn't from the year they were born. I have several (active and retired) teachers in my family - I understand the teachers need raises, but the district needs to take care of the children dependant on our classrooms to educate them before anything else.
Come on people with half a brain, let's get out the vote and support education in Pocatello. enjoyit can sell his property and move to Mississippi, they ALMOST starve their education system as badly as Idaho does.
Come property owners especially seniors, lets get out the no vote like when the know it all wanted to tax property for updating the Mini Dome. We voted No that time and we can vote NO for this levy.
I am a senior who owns real property here in Pocatello. I realize that education of children and adolescents is critical to our future, including mine, even though I will not be here in 10 to 20 years.
An uneducated community is bad for my property rights too. Moreover, everyone can and should vote, not just those with real property (land, home and buildings). Those who rent do pay property taxes through their rent.
It is unwise for seniors who get social security to act especially greedy. Younger votes might change matters. Perhaps they should if seniors act as though younger people don't matter.
This levy is not a new tax, but a continuation of the last levy.
It does not rest on the voters, it rests on the property owner. They pay for this levy. It is not right for citizens to impose taxes on my property when these folks pay nothing. Vote NO. Your rent may increase.
You can only " tighten your belt" so many times if you're a teacher. An experienced teacher needs to just cross state lines to neighboring states to get a $10,000 a year raise. Our legislature, in this "year of education funding" is offering them about $400. After year after year of pay cuts and forced furlough days. The problem isn't in the offices on Pole Line, the problem is the Republican supermajority in Boise that refuses to fund education in our state.
It is really going from bad to worse. Six grades should be enough for any outback Southeast Idaho hillbilly. Once they can read newspaper without wadding it up and throwing it in the corner is good enough. A cold beer in the morning before a day in the fields wrestling those danged mules is enough for any kid these days. Let the women folk bring the cold tateys and some corn pone mash along with a quart can of cold beer around noon.
That is the way of idaho. This schoolin is for the birds and never did no kid any good fillin his head with such foolin's as pootry and teachin all kinds of outlandish things to make the chillins want to go off to the big city and get a job in the factory and leave the milkin' to the elders. And for what? A new red truck? one dem 255's with gas guzzling tire squeallin and what not else. Makes my mule nervous. No sir, by whamy. We don't want no schoolin here. All they do is put on plays and teach these cillun to put on airs aroun dey elders. Enough is enough I say. Time to feed the chickens and slop the hogs and quit all this politiking foolery around dey schoolhouse onct and for all.
Its time for property owners to say NO. This can be defeated if every property owner gets out especially the grey folks where the burden hurts many and vote NO.
And, after this passes the district will ask for more in just a few years, so on and so on. As long as the voters of D25 keep saying yes than the District will not live within their budget. It is really time for the voters to send a message. Show us first that you will make the necessary cuts, that you will take a serious look at what and where you spend your money. Are you top heavy with assistants? what programs are a waste of money?
But, why should they. They are well aware that all they have to do is put their hand out.
Welcome to the discussion.
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