WBCSD to run one-year, $1.13 million levy

PRIEST RIVER — West Bonner trustees voted 3-1 Wednesday to bring a one-year supplemental levy to voters Nov. 5. 

The $1.13 million measure will request funding for two new buses, extracurricular and cocurricular activities, a school resource officer, and the district’s child nutrition program during the 2025-26 school year. 

After expressing she was on the fence earlier in the Aug. 21 board meeting, Chair Margaret Hall cast the deciding vote at about 10:30 p.m.

“At this point, I say it’s up to the voters to decide what they want,” Hall said. 

The upcoming levy will be the district’s third attempt to secure funds in the last two years. Voters narrowly denied a two-year measure totaling $9.4 million in May 2023, and a one-year, $4.68 million levy failed in May 2024. 

This time, the board scaled things back. Trustee Paul Turco described the package as “bare bones,” and board members emphasized that the levy represents only essential needs. 

“We’re putting a levy that’s 75% less because of what the voters said to us,” Turco said at Wednesday’s meeting. “This is significantly reduced from May because we heard what they said.” 

The levy’s largest single item is a $395,300 allocation to wholly fund all extracurricular and cocurricular activities, including all sports. 

Hall expressed concern that if the district is unable to offer extracurricular activities, students may seek enrollment elsewhere. 

WBCSD is in the midst of a fundraising effort to support extracurriculars for 2024-25 after the failure of the May levy, which requested money to support the activities. 

An enrollment update shared at an Aug. 13 Lake Pend Oreille School District board meeting showed 68 enrollment applications from students living within West Bonner’s boundaries. 

Trustee Kathy Nash cast the lone dissenting vote after emphasizing her desire to wait until May 2025 to bring a levy to the ballot. 

“This is a very fiscally responsible levy. It’s just the wrong time,” said Nash. 

Nash told board members she believes the district needs to establish trust with voters and prove it will spend funds responsibly. 

“To put a levy on in November tells the public that we’re not listening,” Nash said. 

Levies are funded by property taxes. According to WBCSD, the November measure will cost residents about $23 per $100,000 of taxable assessed value if it’s approved. 

To pass, the levy will need a simple majority — support from over 50% of voters. With presidential candidates on the ballot, turnout at the polls will almost certainly be much higher than usual. 

“I think we would be really missing an opportunity by not doing one (a levy) in November,” Turco said during a discussion at a July 31 board meeting. 

“Because of the high representation that we're going to see because of the presidential election, I think that will give us the best understanding of what West Bonner County really wants.”