D93 looks to avoid financial shortfall after levy failures; planning for new election in May
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AMMON — After voters in Bonneville Joint School District 93 failed to pass millions of dollars in supplemental and plant facility levies this week, its board is looking for options to avoid a financial shortfall.
Superintendent Scott Woolstenhulme says there will be a work session next week to discuss modifying the levies for another vote in May.
The superintendent announced the meeting during a Facebook live event Thursday. The work session will be on Wednesday, March 17, at 11:30 a.m. It will be broadcast on the district’s website, through their YouTube channel, and shared to its Facebook page.
During Thursday’s live stream, Woolstenhulme discussed his disappointment with the voting results, and the plans moving forward.
“We’ve done a lot of personal reflection over the last couple of days about those outcomes,” he said. “(We’ve had) a lot of discussion on ‘What do we need to do a better job at communicating with parents and patrons?’ and ‘What are the things we need to take a step back from and really think about?'”
Though he wished the levies would have passed, Woolstenhulme recognized the voters clearly didn’t feel comfortable with what was being proposed.
“There was no question that the dollars that we were requesting are absolute needs that we have,” he explained. “(However,) our voters are not ready to approve an increase to those levies.”
During Tuesday’s election, the district asked for a $6,800,000 supplemental levy for two years ($13,600,000 total), and a $3,800,000 plant facilities levy for 10 years, ($38,000,000 total). Those levies would have replaced ones already in place in the district. Previously, Bonneville had a $5.8 million-per-year supplemental levy, and a $2.8 million-per-year plant facilities levy.
The loss of the two levies is a big deal for District 93. District spokesman Phil Campbell said those levies, which have historically passed, were already part of this next year’s budget. Since the vote failed, it could result in an $8.6 million shortfall if not renewed in May.
“To lose that much funding is significant,” Campbell said.
Woolstenhulme explained in the live meeting that the majority of the supplemental levy goes to teacher and classified staff salary. The plant facilities levy was meant to go towards upgrading and upkeeping the facilities in the district. Without a vote from the public in May to at least renew the levy funding, cuts may have to be made in upkeep, and teacher and staff salaries may have to be lowered for the next year.
Though Woolstenhulme cannot speak for the board, he mentioned that the administrative recommendation will be to have a levy that won’t include those same increases and gives the public an opportunity to at least vote for the renewal of the already existing levy funding.
The board will meet together to discuss if they want to submit new plans for a public vote. These plans could include the almost $9 million renewal or whatever other additions the board approves of, but this could be their last chance for the school year.
The district needs to submit its budget by July, and May is the last month an election like this can happen before that deadline. The board is working fast because, in order to have the public vote on the plan in May, the board needs to submit the specific wording of what is being asked soon.