LPOSD declines chance to raise taxes

Lake Pend Oreille School District trustees and administration agreed at the Sept. 14 board meeting that raising taxes based upon this fall’s enrollment and the state funding formula was not something they would do, despite the opportunity.

The district was in a position to pass a resolution to declare an “emergency levy” to raise more than $600,000 from local taxpayers. For the homeowner, this levy would have raised school related taxes on individual owners from approximately $127 per $100,000 of net taxable valuation to $134 per $100,000 of net taxable valuation.  An emergency levy does not require a vote of the taxpayers; only a board resolution.

I shared with the board my view that the school district should live within the planned budget.

When we presented the last supplemental levy to voters almost two years ago, we told them what we thought we would need to maintain a quality program. The community supported us. Despite the enrollment growth this year, we have planned and budgeted carefully. We have the resources set aside to provide for staff and instructional materials without raising taxes.

Board Chair Vickie Pfeifer echoed Cvitanich’s words.

“We have worked hard to establish credibility with our community,” she said. “They understand that when we share with them our needs we have thought very carefully in advance. We want that credibility to continue.”

Taxpayers will note a drop in school-related taxes in their next tax statement; the plant and facility levy that re-built Kootenai Elementary, remodeled Sagle Elementary, and addressed health and safety issues throughout the district is paid in full with no long-term debt. All plant and facility-related construction finished on time and under budget. This represents a 41 percent reduction from $216 to $127 per $100,000 in net taxable valuation.

Dick Cvitanich is superintendent of the Lake Pend Oreille School District.