ELECTION: Have you voted in your school district today?

IDAHO FALLS — The polls are open across eastern Idaho until 8 p.m. Tuesday for patrons to vote on school bond and levy elections.

Residents within district boundaries are taxed to fund the school bond levies. Supplemental levies are used to recruit and retain teachers, staff and to maintain school programs. Plant facility levies pay for equipment, school renovations or upgrades. General school bond levies are typically used to build new district facilities.

Idaho Falls School District 91

Administrators at Idaho Falls School District 91 are asking voters to renew a levy that has been supported since 1979. It generates about 12 percent of district’s general fund. It brings in $6.8 million a year. The levy amount has not changed since 2003.

“We didn’t increase it during those really hard economic years (2008-2010), and it wasn’t increased with those big state budget cuts. It’s been left at that $6.8 million,” spokeswoman Margaret Wimborne said in a Jan. 14 article.

This levy renewal will not raise voter taxes.

Bonneville Joint School District 93

Bonneville School District 93 attempting to renew its supplemental levy, but also increase the amount from $3 million to $5.8 million.

The dollar amount of the levy is increasing, but taxpayers’ rates will not increase, officials said.

D93 CFO Guy Wangsgard told EastIdahoNews.com on Jan. 14 the tax rate will not increase because of the passing of a recent bond. When the bond for a new high school was approved, the tax rate increased to cover the cost of the school. Costs for the supplemental levy were included in that increase.

Superintendent Chuck Shackett said the growth in the community will keep the tax rate at a constant, but give the district room to increase the levy.

“We have more people moving into our community, more people paying the taxes, so we’re able to collect more money if the voters approve the larger amount without raising the tax levy rate,” Shackett said.

Ririe Joint School District 252

The school district is looking to pass a $825,000 bond for $165,000 per year, as well as a supplemental levy of $220,000 each year for two years. According to a presentation, this part of an effort to update buses and complete maintenance projects. Taxes will remain the same.

Soda Springs Joint School District 150

The district is asking for a supplemental levy of $728,000 for one year.

Pocatello/Chubbuck School District 25

The supplemental levy for Pocatello/Chubbuck School District is up for renewal for $9.25 million.

Taxpayers will be paying less because a bond was paid off several months ago. The now-paid bond issued 20 years ago was for the construction of Century High School and the renovation of Pocatello High School.

American Falls Joint School District 381

Due to overcrowding, the district is attempting to build a new building to house students at American Falls Intermediate School. It is asking voters to approve an $8.95 million bond — down from the $12.5 million bond it asked for in May. That bond failed at 63 percent approval. (The bond needs a 66.6 percent supermajority to pass.)

See more details on the building here and how it will be used.

In addition, the school district is asking for a $2.46 million supplemental levy per year for two years. This will not raise taxes, the district says.

Blackfoot School District 55

The district’s current levy is $2.6 million and will be decreased to $2.15 million for two years.

There is also a proposed plant levy for $600,000 that will run a 10-year term. The plant facility levy is only used for building maintenance and repair. The plant levy approval requires a 50 percent majority vote.

Snake River School District 52

The district is asking for a $750,000 levy per year for two years.

Fremont County Joint School District 215

School district officials in Fremont County are planning on a $1.5 million supplemental levy. The amount will remain the same as it has for the last two years. As a result, officials say, if it passes there will be no tax increase for voters.

Bear Lake School District 33

The school district is asking patrons for a supplemental levy of $750,000 a year for two years, which is $50,000 a year less than the previous two years. For more a breakdown on how much this will cost property owners, click here.

Grace School District 148

The plant facilities and supplemental levy amounts the district is asking for will remain the same as they have been. The plant facilities levy is proposed at $150,000 for one year, and the supplemental levy is planned at $300,000 for one year. Patrons will not see a tax increase. For more information, see the district’s December newsletter.

Your district not listed?

Administrators at Sugar-Salem School District 322 will suggest a supplemental levy to voters for the May ballot. Teton, Madison, and Jefferson school districts are not having supplemental levy elections.