Voters to decide on funding for local schools

Editor’s note: This story has been edited from Idaho Ed News. To view bond and levies elections across the state, click here for the full story. Some voters may be deciding on additional issues and races. Go to Vote Idaho to view what’s on the ballot and where you vote. EastIdahoNews.com has done previous stories for this election, which include a library district override levy and an ambulance district levy, which you can find here. Polls close at 8 p.m. Tuesday.

IDAHO FALLS (IdahoEdNews) — Various districts across Idaho are asking voters for more than $223.6 million on their ballots Tuesday.

For many districts, the majority of their supplemental levy funds goes to paying staff salaries and benefits. Athletics and extracurricular activities, along with transportation costs, are also common among the levy asks. The single bond listed here would build a new school in Shelley.

Here is what’s on the ballot in eastern Idaho.

Bond

Shelley asks for $78 million bond

Shelley, which serves just under 2,500 students, is asking again for funds to do a total facilities update after a failed bond measure in November 2023.

The district’s current high school is the most over-capacity of its schools with three modular buildings already in use. The district has three other schools at full capacity along with two nearly full elementary schools, according to the district’s website.

If the bond passes, the district would get a new high school, expected to open in 2029, along with a career-technical education facility.

The new high school would be about 40,000 square feet larger with eight new classrooms and a science lab. The career-technical building would have 11 classrooms and four shops along with an auditorium that would seat 600.

What: A $78 million, 20-year bond.

What’s at stake? The funds would pay for the construction and outfitting of a new high school and career technical education facility. It would also pay for renovations to other schools.

Impact: The bond would cost taxpayers $423 per $100,000 of assessed value, before state property tax relief. Bonds need a supermajority or 66.7% of the vote to pass. See a sample ballot here.

RELATED | Local school district asks voters to approve $78 million bond to build a new high school

Levies

Blackfoot

In Blackfoot, which serves about 3,760 students, trustees increased their levy request by $400,000 from the previous supplemental levy. The increase would go toward the child nutrition program.

Blackfoot has had a supplemental levy since 1987. The levy ask has gone down from a peak of $2.6 million per year in 2016.

Just over 20% of the levy pays for classified staff like paraeducators, secretaries and maintenance workers. Another nearly 17% goes to teacher, school counselor, psychologist and audiologist salaries.

What: A $4.8 million, two-year levy.

What’s at stake? The majority of the levy pays for school staff. The rest covers transportation, classroom supplies, technology, and safety and security services.

Impact: The levy would cost taxpayers $136 per $100,000 of assessed property value, before state property tax relief. See a sample ballot here.

Marsh Valley

Marsh Valley trustees are asking for over a $1 million increase over the previous levy.

Marsh Valley, which serves just over 1,000 students south of Pocatello, currently has a $2.2 million supplemental levy.

This year, trustees asked for a $3.5 million levy to replace the expiring smaller levy. The increase marks a $29 increase per $100,000 of assessed value for taxpayers.

The majority of the increase would go to paying for staff salaries. The previous levy earmarked just over $500,00 a year for staff salaries compared to the more than $1.3 million set aside in the May levy ask.

While the prior levy paid for facilities and curriculum, those items are not included in the May levy ask.

Trustees also more than doubled their ask for special education and gifted and talented program funding. Funds allocated to athletics and arts and activities remained stagnant. The proposed levy would fund summer school at $30,000 a year.

What: A $3.5 million, two-year levy.

What’s at stake? The levy largely funds school staff. The rest of the money goes to special education and gifted and talented programs, athletics, arts and activities, and summer school.

Impact: The levy would cost taxpayers $78 per $100,000 of assessed property value, before property tax relief. Supplemental levies need a simple majority to pass. See a sample ballot here.

Rockland

Trustees are again asking for a $420,000, two-year levy to largely pay for utilities and building maintenance at $175,000 per year. The rest of the funds will go to salaries and benefits at $25,000 and classroom supplies totaling $10,000. An identical levy expires this year.

The district serves about 165 students.

What: A $420,000 two-year levy.

What’s at stake? The funds would largely pay for building care and utilities along with classroom supplies and salaries and benefits.

Impact: The bond would cost taxpayers $133.52 per $100,000 of assessed value, before state property tax relief. See a sample ballot here.

Soda Springs

Soda Springs’ levy rate would likely go down despite the overall levy amount remaining the same as last year. This can happen as property values change and more people move into the area. The district serves about 880 students.

What: A $993,000, one-year levy.

What’s at stake? The levy would pay for teacher and staff salaries and benefits and a school resource officer, along with other operational costs.

Impact: The levy would cost taxpayers $69 per $100,000 of assessed value. See a sample ballot here.