What had the potential to be a historic school election day — with more than $1 billion on the line — did not break any records.
Statewide, voters rejected more than 70% of the ask, approving only $274.59 million in school funding.
Five of seven bonds failed Tuesday night, falling short of Idaho’s notably high two-thirds supermajority threshold for approval.
Supplemental levies, which generally require a lower approval threshold to pass, were more successful throughout the state. However, the night’s biggest ticket item — Coeur d’Alene’s permanent, $25 million per year supplemental levy — failed with 49% support, just missing the needed simple majority. It was one of two razor-thin losses for Coeur d’Alene, where the superintendent was in shock Wednesday morning.
The largest bond measure of the night — Nampa School District’s $210.2 million ask — failed with only 40% support. The bond would’ve paid for two new schools, a new career and technical center, renovations or upgrades at a number of district schools, and athletic facilities.
Courtney Stauffer, the district’s operations director, told EdNews earlier this month that if the bond failed, the current proposals would be put on hold and “we will manage the best we can.”
Kuna’s $111.4 million bond also failed with 58.5% support. The bond would’ve paid for a new elementary school; a classroom wing and athletic facilities at Swan Falls High School; and renovations and additions at Fremont and Kuna middle schools.
Nampa and Kuna leaders are now vowing to learn why their measures failed.
In total, Idaho voters rejected $462 million in bonds, $27 million in plant facilities levies, and $23 million in supplemental levies — and that’s not counting Coeur d’Alene’s perpetual $25 million levy failure.
Here is a rundown of the results from Tuesday’s voting around the state:
Nampa: $210.2 million bond issue.
Result: Failed with 40% support.
Kuna: $111.4 million bond issue.
Result: Failed with 58.5% support.
Lewiston: Five-year, $100 million supplemental levy (projected).
Result: Passed with 63% support.
Jefferson County:
Result: $75 million bond failed with 56.9% support; $5 million bond passed with 67.4% support.
Fremont County: $59.98 million bond issue.
Result: Bond failed with 45.1% support.
Coeur d’Alene:
Result: Permanent, $25 million-a-year supplemental levy failed with 48.97% support; five-year, $25 million plant facilities levy failed with 54.48% support (55% was needed).
Cassia County: Ten-year, $32.7 million plant facilities levy.
Result: Passed with 57% support.
Oneida County: $29 million bond issue.
Result: Passed with 86.7% support.
Lakeland:
Result: Two-year, $19.04 million supplemental levy failed with 47% support; $6.88 million plant facilities levy failed with 49% support.
Pocatello-Chubbuck: Two-year, $16.5 million supplemental levy.
Result: Passed with 66.77% support.
Idaho Falls: Two-year, $13.6 million supplemental levy.
Result: Passed with 80.7% support.
Post Falls: Two-year, $11.92 million supplemental levy.
Result: Passed with 61.2% support.
Twin Falls: Two-year, $11.4 million supplemental levy.
Result: Passed with 65.2% support.
Parma: Ten-year, $8.55 million levy for the Canyon-Owyhee School Service Agency, which provides career-technical education, special education and alternative education for five school districts.
Result: Passed with 70.8% support.
Notus: Ten-year, $3.56 million plant facilities levy; 10-year, $2.66 million levy for COSSA.
Result: Passed with 68.4% support.
Castleford: $6 million bond issue.
Result: Failed with 58% support.
American Falls: Two-year, $5.5 million supplemental levy.
Result: Passed with 71.5% support.
Boundary County: Two-year, $4.8 million supplemental levy.
Result: Passed with 55.3% support.
St. Maries: Two-year, $4.14 million supplemental levy.
Result: Passed with 62.1% support.
Blackfoot: Two-year, $4 million supplemental levy.
Result: Passed with 73.9% support.
Emmett: Two-year, $3 million supplemental levy.
Result: Failed with 43.1% support.
Gooding: Two-year, $759,000 supplemental levy.
Result: Passed with 58.9% support.
Kootenai: Two-year, $2.75 million supplemental levy.
Result: Passed with 56.82% support.
Jerome: Two-year, $2.5 million supplemental levy.
Result: Passed with 69.9% support.
Weiser: Four-year, $2 million plant facilities levy.
Result: Failed with 53.01% support.
Kendrick: Two-year, $1.5 million supplemental levy; five-year, $300,000 plant facilities levy.
Result: Passed with 76.6% support.
Potlatch: One-year, $1.6 million supplemental levy.
Result: Passed with 53.3% support.
Jerome: Two-year, $1.52 million supplemental levy.
Result: Passed with 69.9% support.
Challis: Two-year, $1.4 million supplemental levy.
Result: Passed with 69.3% support.
Snake River: Two-year, $1.4 million supplemental levy.
Result: Passed with 66.4% support.
Bear Lake County: Two-year, $1.3 million supplemental levy.
Result: Passed with 68% support.
Cascade: Two-year, $1.3 million supplemental levy.
Result: Passed with 92.8% support.
Genesee: One-year, $1.18 million supplemental levy.
Result: Passed with 76.1% support.
Payette: Two-year, $1 million supplemental levy.
Result: Failed with 48.8% support.
Grace: Two-year, $900,000 supplemental levy.
Result: Passed with 78.6% support.
Meadows Valley: Two-year, $746,800 supplemental levy.
Result: Passed with 80.1% support.
West Jefferson: Two-year, $720,000 supplemental levy.
Result: Passed with 78.9% support.
Soda Springs: One-year, $698,000 supplemental levy.
Result: Passed with 77.9% support.
Camas County: Two two-year supplemental levies, totaling $600,000.
Result: Both passed with 79.6% support.
Horseshoe Bend: Two-year, $600,000 supplemental levy.
Result: Passed with 61.5% support.
Sugar-Salem: Two-year, $600,000 supplemental levy.
Result: Failed with 44.6% support.
Hansen: Two-year, $580,000 supplemental levy.
Result: Passed with 75.34% support.
Ririe: Two-year, $580,000 supplemental levy.
Result: Passed with 77.7% support.
Butte County: Two-year, $320,000 supplemental levy; two-year, $206,000 plant facilities levy.
Result: Both passed with 78% support.
Clark County: Two-year, $500,000 supplemental levy.
Result: Passed with 92.8% support.
Highland-Craigmont: One-year, $499,000 supplemental levy.
Result: Passed with 67.7% support.
Rockland: Two-year, $420,000 supplemental levy
Result: Passed with 90.09% support.
Swan Valley: Five-year, $375,000 plant facilities levy.
Result: Passed with 67.9% support.
West Side: One-year, $90,000 supplemental levy.
Result: Passed with 81% support.
This story is from Idaho Education News, a nonprofit supported on grants from the J.A. and Kathryn Albertson Family Foundation, the Education Writers Association and the Solutions Journalism Network.
