Lakeland School District asks voters for replacement tax to maintain funding of sports, activities and teachers

The Lakeland School District is asking voters to approve a two-year replacement levy to continue funding school sports, the district’s school safety officers and extra teachers needed to reduce class sizes and offer electives at the high school.

Historically, voters have approved the district’s temporary levy requests, though the last one in 2023 required two attempts to pass after narrowly failing on the first ballot. The district is asking for a continuation of the same $9.52 million in annual funding to begin in July 2025 after the current levy expires.

Voters should expect to see a decrease in the amount of property taxes collected by the district, however, because the district just finished paying off a construction bond, said Superintendent Lisa Arnold.

The estimated levy amount would be $105 per $100,000 in taxable assessed home value. However, Arnold said the amount collected will be less than that. Each year the district receives property tax relief money from the state, but the amount fluctuates . That amount is deducted from the amount voters pay. For example, the district received $2.37 million from the state in property tax relief for the 2024-25 school year, so will only collect $7.15 million from the voters instead of the full $9.52 million authorized by voters, Arnold said. That will drop the levy rate.

Despite the annual property tax relief money, by law the district must put the full $9.52 million levy rate on the ballot because of the fluctuation in the annual relief funds, Arnold said.

“We have to just pretend that doesn’t exist,” she said. “I can’t legally use other amounts because that’s not certain.”

Levy money is spent in several areas, including purchasing new curriculum and paying for bus transportation. The state only funds 85% of what each district spent the previous school year on transportation, Arnold said.

“Idaho doesn’t even pretend to fully fund transportation,” she said.

Levy money also entirely funds all school sports and activities such as Future Farmers of America, Business Professionals of America and Leadership.

“The state gives us zero money for athletics and co-curriculars,” she said.

The levy also pays for the district’s five school resource officers and three armed guards, all retired law enforcement officers, as well as security cameras, safety training and other safety related costs.

In addition, the money is used to fill the gaps in teacher pay and the number of teachers hired. The state pays for 215 teachers and pays a flat rate for each, no matter how much the teachers are actually paid, Arnold said. The district has 260 teachers on staff and the extra teachers are used to reduce class sizes and teach elective classes at the high school that aren’t funded by the state.

Arnold said the days of just offering shop, home economics and typing as electives are long gone, but a wider selection of electives costs more.

“Our kids have a lot of options, which is great, but it requires more personnel,” she said.

Residents have made it clear over the years that they prefer smaller neighborhood schools instead of fewer large schools, Arnold said. “When you do that, it just automatically requires more staffing,” she said. “It does cost us more for smaller neighborhood schools.”

The school district has more information about the levy request on its website at www.sd272.org, and a mailer was sent to voters this week. The website includes several short video explainers about various aspects of the levy. Arnold said she’s also been presenting information to various community organizations and parent groups and encourages people to call her if they have any questions.

“My goal, when people vote, is to make sure people are voting on accurate information,” she said. “It’s challenging the way Idaho funds schools. The levy fills the gap.”