BCSD Supplementary levy information

BONNERS FERRY — The Boundary County School District plans to ask voters to approve a supplementary levy for the same amount as the existing levy at $2.4 million.

The school district plans to put the levy, also known as a maintenance and operations levy, in the March 14 election.

If approved, the levy will cost taxpayers $105 per $100,000. The levy runs for two years.

The current levy will drop off in June. If the levy passes in March, it will replace the existing levy.

BCSD is requesting a renewal of the current levy amount of $2.4 million annually in order to provide the level of education and services students and families deserve, officials wrote.

The district has not raised the levy amount in eight years.

“The levy bridges the gap between state/federal funding and what it actually costs to educate our students,” district officials wrote in an information pamphlet.

The levy supports 21% of BCSD’s general fund dollars and covers the following:

Safety, security, and maintenance (maintenance of buildings and security measures for safety of students, staff, and patrons) for $125,000.

Extra/co-curricular stipends (all extra/co-curricular stipends and benefits), $263,000.

Extra/co-curricular transportation (transportation expenses for sport and club activities), $17,000.

Salaries and benefits (Instructional and support staff), $1,670,000.

All field trips not covered under r extra/co-curricular activities, $15,000.

Curricular materials, such as textbooks, workbooks, and supplies, $100,000.

Technology, such as computers, Chromebook, and licenses $85,000.

A new bus costs $125,000.

The election is March 14. Early voting begins Feb. 27.

M&O levies in the state of Idaho only last for one to two years. BCSD has selected to run their M&O every other year. M&Os cover maintenance, operation and learning costs that are not covered by the state, such as band, drama, FFA, CTE course, extracurricular activities, travel for extracurriculars, grounds maintenance and more. This levy also pays for 35 staff members.

In the past, the school district’s M&O levy has paid for smaller class sizes and allows the district to maintain its level of learning, Boundary County Superintendent Jan Bayer said.

Bayer said that if the levy does not pass, 25% of the district’s workforce would have to be cut. The district would lose 20 or more classified staff, one principal and eight to 10 teachers since their salaries are paid through levy funding.

She added the district could find a way around this cut by having furlough days and the school week could be cut even shorter for elementary schools, although she cautioned this could result in unequal pay for elementary teachers compared to high school teachers.