Students make their way around the Lewiston High School campus in this file photo from 2020. Voters on Tuesday approved a new five-year levy for the Lewiston School District.
Students make their way around the Lewiston High School campus in this file photo from 2020. Voters on Tuesday approved a new five-year levy for the Lewiston School District.
The Lewiston School District’s levy passed with 2,406 votes in favor Tuesday night.
The levy passed with 63% in favor. There were 1,385 votes against the levy of the 3,791 total votes. The levy needed a majority of 50% plus one to pass.
The Supporters of the Lewiston School District Facebook page posted “Thank you Lewiston! Once again you strongly supported your kids and schools.”
The last two supplemental levies for the school district passed with more than 80% in support.
The supplemental levy pays for 36% of the district’s budget and fills the gap left by state funds. The levy will pay for additional classified and certified staff; special education and early childhood employees; kindergarten through third grade literacy programs; Career Technical Education; music programs; co-curricular and extra-curricular activities; security cameras; and school resource officers.
The Lewiston School Board chose to decrease the rate of the levy to $395 per $100,000 of taxable assessed value for five years because of high property taxes residents were facing. The rate will go into effect July 1, 2024, when the current levy, at a rate of $420 per $100,000 in assessed value, expires.
The Lewiston School District’s levy is set at a rate rather than a fixed total amount because the school charter was established before Idaho was given statehood. The budget will be determined when state funds are also allocated to the school. Budgets are planned in April, set in May and implemented in July for the coming school year.
Lewiston wasn’t the only school district that asked voters to fund local levies.
Genesee School District has its levy passing with 164 votes in favor and 79 against. The levy was for $442.46 per $100,000 of taxable assessed value, for a total $1,185,000 levy for one year.
Potlatch School District’s levy passed with 407 in favor to 357 against to fund $408.60 per $100,000 of taxable assessed value, for a total $1.6 million levy for one year.
Both levies for the Kendrick Joint School District passed. The supplemental levy passed with 111 for and 45 against at a rate of $358.79 per $100,000, for a total $750,000 levy for two years. The plant facilities levy passed with 108 votes yes and 50 votes no for a $28.70 rate per $100,000 of taxable assessed value, for a total $60,000 levy for five years.
The supplemental levy for Highland Joint School District in Craigmont passed with 112 votes in favor to 55 votes against to pass its $248.72 per $100,000 of taxable assessed value, for a total $499,000 levy for one year.
According to Idaho Education News, 47 of Idaho’s 115 school districts had bonds or levies on the ballot.
