WBCSD sees success in levy request

PRIEST RIVER — It was a tight race in West Bonner for the school district’s two-year, $6 million supplemental levy request on Tuesday.

Nevertheless, the measure was successful by a narrow margin of 73 votes, with 1,023 votes in favor, and 950 against the levy in the preliminary final results.

“I would like to thank our community and all the people who work hard for our students,” WBCSD Superintendent Paul Anselmo told the Daily Bee on Wednesday.

The supplemental levy covers 26 percent of the district’s operating budget, including a general fund shortfall of $2,128,737 per year, as well as class fees, the school resource officer, technology supplies, library and school funds, curriculum and more.

School districts across the state struggle with funding shortfalls year after year, and the West Bonner County School District is no exception.

“What was once supplemental is now essential funding,” Anselmo said during a board meeting earlier this year.

The district initially put the levy request to voters in March, though it was unsuccessful with 769 against and 536 in favor. The district had a second question on the March 12 ballot asking voters to approve a permanent supplemental override, meaning they would only have to go back to the voters if they chose to raise the levy amount to more than $3 million.

With concerns that the permanency question may have caused some confusion, district officials chose to run the levy again, foregoing the second question.

Of the 6,561 registered voters in the West Bonner district, 1,977 cast their ballots in Tuesday’s election, via absentee and in person. The 30.13 percent turnout is about 10 percent higher than the 20 percent turnout of the March 12 election.

The levy will replace the current levy of $3 million per year, which expires in June. While the requested amount is the same, Anselmo said the levy rates for taxpayers will actually go down due to the sale of lots at Priest Lake. The rates have been reduced to $1.47 per $1,000 of assessed property value, down from $1.76 previous.

Mary Malone can be reached by email at mmalone@bonnercountydailybee.com and follow her on Twitter @MaryDailyBee.