E-mail sparks levy controversy
SANDPOINT — Last-minute levy debate flared up Monday morning after an e-mail suggesting financial irregularities in the Lake Pend Oreille School District circulated through Republican party mailing lists.
The message raised questions about apparent discrepancies in levy funding, public access to budget information, differences between public school and charter school education, transgender education, the student-administrator ratio and unusual expenditures.
Anonymous individuals compiled the e-mail based on discussions that occurred at a Bonner County Republican Women’s meeting. County Commissioner Cornel Rasor then sent the e-mail to the Bonner County Republican Central Committee.
A recipient of the e-mail forwarded the message to LPOSD Superintendent Dick Cvitanich. After reviewing the six claims, Cvitanich replied to Rasor with clarifications on each topic.
The biggest issue the e-mail raised was a $2 million excess in funds collected by the previous two-year levy. A committee member noticed the discrepancy after reviewing county treasurer and audit documents and asked Cvitanich about the issue at a Republican women’s meeting.
“I explained to him that was impossible and against the law,” Cvitanich said in his e-mailed response. “After the meeting, in private, he shared with me that he thought he confused the last year of collection for the plant facility levy and the first year of the previous supplemental levy. That is why school taxes seemed higher that year.”
A second claim contended a line item school budget was not available on the district website. Cvitanich responded that audits were currently online. In addition, the district is legally obligated to post a line item budget by December 2012.
The third item on the list targeted Cvitanich’s mentions of higher test scores in public schools versus charter schools.
“Charter school students’ parents have determined from talking with their kids that the public schools are teaching to the test, whereas charter schools are focusing on knowledge,” the e-mail read.
“It is impossible for us to teach to the test,” Cvitanich responded. “We don’t see the test before it is given. We teach to Idaho standards.”
A committee member raised the fourth concern about Clark Fork schools being required to teach transgender education because they received federal dollars.
“We do not teach transgender education,” Cvitanich said. “We do receive questions from students about the rights of all people, but there is no curriculum in this area.”
A high administrator-to-student ratio in LPOSD ranked fifth on the list.
“Our principal-student ratio is slightly higher because of our outlying schools. We are, geographically, one of the largest districts in the state. As such, it is difficult to create an economy of scale,” Cvitanich said, mentioning that Southside, Hope, Northside and Washington elementary school principals are only half-time.
Finally, the list of complaints concluded with LPOSD’s hiring of an aerial photography company to determine when school roofs should be shoveled.
“We took aerial photographs, marked each section of school roof by roof strength, and now direct our custodians and crews to shovel in the appropriate spots,” Cvitanich said. “Frankly, this makes sense to us. If you will recall, the Farmin roof fell in prior to my arrival. We do not want that to occur again.”
Cvitanich also expressed disappointment that Rasor sent the e-mail without first calling for an explanation. Rasor replied that he was simply following procedure as chair of the Bonner County Republican Central Committee by posting a requested statement.
“At that meeting, the presenters clearly said that their calls went unanswered,” Rasor responded to Cvitanich via e-mail. “In the sincere attempt we make to have open dialogue, this e-mail will be sent out this afternoon to the same list I sent the first one to.”