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Idaho Press-Tribune • SUNDAY, MAY 8, 2011
idahopress.com
Schools need your tax dollars
Programs, staff at risk
if levies don’t pass
By Paige McDaniel
[email protected]
© 2011 Idaho Press-Tribune
1. How much
is the levy,
and for how
long?
Districts not holding levies
Caldwell School District
n Voters approved a two-year, $2.75 million-per year levy in 2010.
Nampa School District
n Voters approved a two-year, $1.6 millionper year levy in 2010.
n The district qualified for an emergency
levy due to growth.
2. What will the levy be
used for?
$408,000 for
one year.
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Where to vote
The levy will be used to
purchase textbooks and supplies; pay personnel costs to
maintain current programs,
capital equipment and rising
utility costs; maintain a sports
program at the junior and high
school levels; and reduce fuel
costs for transportation.
$210,000 for
one year.
$250,000 per
year for two
years. This
levy is identical to the levy
approved in
May 2009 that
expires this
year.
n $65,000: Extracurricular activities – team sports, academic decathlon and pentathlon,
uniforms, busing and officials.
n $40,000: Additional funds
to attend COSSA professional
technical programs.
n $60,000: Maintain current
level of custodial services for
elementary, middle and high
schools.
n $45,000: Cover expenses of
ongoing campus maintenance.
Includes heating, cooling,
equipment acquisition and
lawn care.
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Where to vote
It is not used specifically for
any one purpose but goes
toward maintaining programs,
teacher pay, extracurricular
activities and operations.
$18.5 million
per year for
two years.
To prevent cuts that have
already been made. If the levy
passes, athletics will remain
in place and the school will be
able to maintain most of its
services and programs.
Kuna School District
The district has reduced its
budget by $2.6 million in the past
two years and is anticipating an
additional $1.95 million for the
2011-2012 school year. A proposed levy by the district has not
been proposed since 2009.
$1.5 million
per year for
two years.
8
Where to vote
8
All schools face a significant
reduction of supplies and
textbooks, as well as a loss of
staff and elective and athletic
programs. The elementary
and high school would each
cut four teacher positions, and
class sizes would average 30
students instead of 20 to 25 per
class.
5. What does this
mean for you?
Owyhee County
Owyhee County Courthouse
20381 State Hwy. 78, Murphy
8 a.m.-8 p.m.
The current levy tax rate is
4.99 per $1,000. That rate
will increase to 5.50 per
$1,000. If you are a homeowner of a $150,000 home
in the Melba School District,
you are currently paying
$748 per year in school
taxes. A $150,000 home will
have a school tax of $825
with the increased levy rate
– an increase of $77 per year.
The dollar amount homeowners are assessed for
this levy may increase a few
dollars per month or decrease based on individual
assessed market value of
the property.
Anderson Hall
305 ½ Bates Ave., Parma
8 a.m.-8 p.m.
The board would have to consider either re-running the levy
in August or cutting programs
and personnel.
“(If the levy passes) it means
that we can continue to
offer the wide range of
programs that we currently have and maintain
our strong instructional
staff,” Superintendent Jim
Norton said. The tax rate
may change a little based on
the district market value. If
the market value continues
to drop, the tax rate may
increase slightly.
Visit www.idahovotes.gov to
find your polling place
All staff salaries have been
reduced by seven days.
Other cuts include: a reduction in employee benefits;
an elimination of the staff
development plan; a 30
percent reduction in school
supply budgets; a reduction
in school textbook accounts
to zero, other than textbooks
for new students; cuts of 11
district positions; and a $1.1
million decreased transportation budget. Forty-one
fewer teachers will be hired
next year. Nine administration positions will be cut.
It will maintain existing staff,
stabilize class size, prevent loss
of educational programs such
as athletics and activities and
maintain current safety staff.
The levy will not be used to
pay for salary increases
Ada County
Melba School District Office
520 Broadway Ave., Melba
8 a.m.-8 p.m.
n No football, volleyball,
basketball, track, baseball or
softball teams.
n No school-sponsored clubs
such as academic pentathlon,
academic decathlon or Business Professionals of America.
n No students attending COSSA technical programs such as
building trades, welding or auto
mechanics.
n No designated personnel to
clean and maintain 92,000 sq.
ft. of interior space.
n No work crew to maintain
building exteriors and mow
lawns.
The district has reduced
staff positions, according to Superintendent Jim
Norton. At this point there
are no plans to cut athletics
or electives.
Where to vote
Marsing School District
n On March 8, residents voted to renew a
$183,000 Canyon-Owyhee School Service
Agency operations levy. The funds will help
the district meet federally mandated special
education and gifted and talented programs.
Crossroads Assembly of God Church
20444 Highway 95, Wilder
8 a.m.-8 p.m.
The district hasn’t made
any concrete cuts for the
upcoming school year.
However, a reduction
in athletic matches was
enforced last year and will
continue through 20112012.
Meridian School District
The district is expecting an
additional $7.1 million funding
reduction next year. Even if the
levy is passed, the district will
decrease operating expenses by
$2.6 million.
Canyon County
Melba Senior Center
115 Baseline Road, Melba
8 a.m.-8 p.m.
Where to vote
n “Our board has determined to move
forward and set the budget accordingly,”
Superintendent Tim Rosandick said.
4. What happens if the
levy fails?
Melba School District eliminated the middle school
principal position, moved
the sixth-grade down to
the elementary school,
cut two staff positions,
implemented a five-day cut
to all employees’ pay, cut
back events and matches
in athletics and bought a
14-person van to transport
groups for one-third the
cost of a bus.
Parma School District
The district has had a levy
every year since 1978, and it
is an integral part of the general fund. Currently the district is
using money in reserve to cover
the additional losses. Once the
$700,000 left in reserve is used
the levy will likely increase.
Homedale School District
n Voters opposed a $360,000 supplemental levy in March.
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Wilder School District
After a failed election in March,
Wilder is running the $210,000
levy again in hopes that the community will reconsider.
“The failed election was catastrophic for us,” Superintendent
Dan Arriola said. “The supplemental (levy) is just very crucial;
we just need it. The community
is proud of their schools; they’ve
been very supportive. Unfortunately,
with state revenue continually
being reduced, we have no other
choice but to come to our local
patrons and ask for assistance to
provide the best programs and services for the Wilder children.”
Vallivue School District
n Voters renewed a one-year $4.5 million
supplemental levy in March.
3. What cuts have
been made?
Melba School District
The district took a survey asking
the community their opinion about
online classes, extracurricular activities and ideas regarding the budget shortfall. Out of 100 responses,
87 percent said they would support
the $408,000 supplemental levy.
Sixty-seven percent think online
classes shouldn’t be required, and
53 percent stated athletics and
extracurricular activities as very
important to their students.
n A committee is preparing recommendations for a future school bond.
The district will need to find
$14.5 million in supplemental
cuts. According to Public Information Officer Eric Exline,
the district has not begun
looking into that possibility.
If the levy is approved,
the locally approved
levy rate will increase
from .00323 to .00407.
For a home with taxable value of $100,000
this is an $83-per-year
increase.
Visit www.idahovotes.gov to
find your polling place
The district office is closed
and rents out to local police,
40 percent in school budget,
15 percent in operations,
elimination of Saturday
school, compressed school
schedule, bus routes
consolidated, reductions
to athletics and negotiated
agreements with teachers.
Class sizes will increase to 36
or more, and there may be at
least 17 additional reductions
in employees and course offerings at the high schools and in
extracurricular programs.
Passing of this levy will
increase property taxes
by an estimated $3.47
per month for every
$100,000 of assessed
taxable property value.
C M
Y K