West Bonner school board prepares to rerun levy

After a tumultuous year with a budget shortfall from a failed levy and recalls of two trustees, the West Bonner School Board is preparing to run another levy, this time with a few tweaks.

The board will vote Monday night whether to put a $4.68 million supplemental levy on the May 21 primary election ballot.

Voters in the rural North Idaho school district rejected a $4.7 million levy last May, with 51.6% voting against it. Trustees Keith Rutledge and Susan Brown, who were recalled last August, actively campaigned against the levy and demanded a forensic audit before they would support a new one.

The board commissioned a forensic audit last fall, the results of which are pending.

The potential levy would represent about one third of the district’s budget.

An estimated $422,000 from Idaho property tax relief could reduce the taxable amount to about $4.26 million.

Interim Superintendent Joseph Kren said at a board meeting Wednesday that the administration made an extra effort to be transparent about how much the district is asking for by category and how each item applies to goals from the district’s strategic plan.

Kren said the numbers are not final, but an estimate includes nearly $3 million for salaries and benefits, about $900,000 for building maintenance, about $250,000 for transportation, including new buses, and smaller amounts for learning materials and technology.

Kren acknowledged concerns by some community members about the proportion of the levy for salaries and benefits. He suggested as an option swapping $255,000 from the teacher salary and benefits column to extracurriculars so that the levy would fully fund those programs.

Then that portion of teacher pay wouldn’t change but would instead come from state dollars in the general fund. The total dollar amount to the taxpayer wouldn’t change either but would make the levy pay more for students rather than teachers.

The possibility of losing sports due to budget cuts upset many parents and students earlier this school year.

“I don’t want this to be a bait and switch or smoke and mirrors. It’s not about that,” Kren said. “It’s a legitimate option to consider.”

The majority of trustees were amenable to Kren’s suggestion.

Board Chair Margaret Hall recommended running the levy for one year rather than two because the district is still waiting on the results of the forensic audit and needs to hire a permanent superintendent.

“Spending next year getting our house in order is critical,” Hall said.

Trustee Kathy Nash said the levy amount is too high and she doesn’t believe those who voted against it last time will change their minds. She said the school district needs to make systemic improvements before people will vote to support “a failing system.”

Trustee Troy Reinbold disagreed with the levy amount but supported the idea of running it for one year instead of two.

Trustee Paul Turco said it is important to give voters the choice.

“I think we do have a responsibility to our taxpayers and our constituents, but that’s to tell them what it costs,” he said. “This is what running a public school system costs.”