Put an end to district's greed, vote no

Before we vote on March 12 for the latest Lake Pend Oreille School District supplemental Levy, here are some facts about what the bulk of this levy is for.

$21 million — 84 percent is for salaries, an increase of $7 million to cover pay increases, which Superintendent Shawn Woodward calls a necessity to be more competitive.

Bonner County’s median income is in the low thirty thousands. To compare, let’s look at the current salaries of LPOSD employees. Online January 2019 payroll records show 219 individuals whose monthly salaries, computed for a year are well above that. These include teachers and administrative personnel.

- Sixty-nine make more than $40K

- Forty-two make more than $50K

- Seventy-three make more than $60K

- Eighteen make more than $70K

- Eight make more than $80K

- One makes more than $95K

- Five make more than $100K. Woodward and LPOSD chief financial officer Lisa Hals are among those, making $173,910 and $144,444, respectively.

Excerpt from the Nov. 27, 2018, school board meeting: “… into the levy we are also asking for a salary increase of approximately 13.2 % for all certified and classified staff “.

Needless to say, all LPOSD employees and their families will turn out to vote for these pay raises.

Turnout for other voters will be low, because the vote is held in March when many residents are gone for the winter. Also the levy vote is not well publicized. Therefore, the levy always passes with a low voter turnout.

Please put a stop to this greed and vote no on March 12.

JAMES DAVIS

Sagle