Voters head to polls today in LPOSD levy

SANDPOINT — Residents are heading to the polls today  to vote on a two-year $10,950,000 Lake Pend Oreille School District levy.

If the levy fails, district officials say they will have to lay off more than 100 employees, including teachers, office staff and administrators, beginning with the 2009-2010 school year.

Failure also would mean elimination of all extracurricular activities such as Clark Fork and Sandpoint High School’s academic competitions, middle school and high school sports, Cedar Post, the SHS student newspaper; and reduction of janitorial services.

The cuts are in addition to LPOSD laying off 33 staff members this year and not filling other vacant positions.

The levy requires a simple majority for approval — 50 percent plus one vote. The levy is divided in two parts, with $4.6 million to be collected in year one and $6,350,000 in year two.

Voters would pay about the same for the first year of the supplemental levy as this year and about 44 percent less the second year because a two-year plant facilities levy would be off the books.

For example, someone with property worth a net assessed value of $225,000 (this is minus the homeowner’s exemption) will pay $21.71 per month in 2009,  $21.09 in 2010 (the first year of the supplemental levy) and $11.75 in 2011.

The plant facilities levy has funded  items such as school buses to additions at Sagle and Kootenai schools. LPOSD expects to go out to bid on the school projects at the end of March.

While this year’s layoffs are the result of declining student enrollment, the district’s budget woes in the coming year (and likely the year following that) are compounded by state budget holdbacks related to a declining national economy and Idaho revenues.

Officially known as a supplemental levy, the term “supplemental” is a misnomer, with people believing it means adding unnecessary items to the budget, according to the district’s school board trustees.

In fact, officials say, most Idaho school districts have supplemental levies on their books because the state has not adjusted its education funding formula since the mid-1990s.

The levy represents about one-fifth of the district’s budget or 21 percent of staff funding. Without voter approval, district official say LPOSD will lay-off one in five of its employees.

Even with approval, the district has announced cuts in its upper quartile program in the way of staffing and its extended day kindergarten program designed to help those children who are academically behind their peers.

The replacement levy would fund four areas: curriculum, student activities and extra curricular programs, technology and maintenance

Polls are open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. today at Clark Fork Jr./Sr. High, Sandpoint High School, and Hope, Kootenai, Northside, Farmin-Stidwell, Washington, Sagle and Southside elementaries. Election hours and locations are legally advertised in the Bonner County Daily Bee and once noticed, cannot be changed.

To be eligible to vote, one must be 18 or older and be a resident of Lake Pend Oreille School District for at least 30 days. State code allows election day registration, however registrants must provide proof of current address using a water, sewer or electric bill.

Questions regarding voter eligibility should be directed to the LPOSD clerk’s office, 263-2184.