School board to discuss bond and levy on Monday

BONNERS FERRY — The Boundary County School District is seeking public input on a possible bond to replace Valley View Elementary as well as a proposed supplemental levy. The board, which met in special session Monday, will be discussing the issues at its June 17 meeting.

BCSD Superintendent Jan Bayer told school board trustees that she is nervous to run both bond and levy at the November 2024 election, due to possible failure of the supplemental levy. She said if the levy fails, the district will not operate as it is right now. 

At the May 21 primary election, school districts across the state ran M&O levies (also known as supplemental levies), which failed and have resulted in districts making drastic changes. In Bonner County, voters rejected a $4.68 million West Bonner County School District supplemental levy in May. WBCSD has since announced the closure of Priest River Junior High School and are moving extracurricular activities to a pay-to-play system. 

BCSD trustees discussed needing a contingency plan should the levy fail in November, and again at the May 2025 election. 

Contracts for teachers and staff are released in late May and June, and if there is no funding for that course or program, the staff member does not receive a contract. 

As part of the district's facility maintenance plan, every 20 years a new school at BCSD needs to be rebuilt. Valley View Elementary, which was built after World War II, is scheduled to be rebuilt. In both March 2022 and August 2022, school bonds for Valley View failed to gain a super majority to pass. 

BCSD did not run a bond in November 2023, due to assessed property values not being finalized and levy rates not being available. Without this data, the bond language, which gives taxpayers a quote on how much the bond will cost them annually, would have not been accurate. 

In 2023, BCSD requested that the state pay for the school, as provided by Idaho Code. However, when Bayer looked at making the request, there was no form to fill out. Since then, the district has been told by the state that the bond must fail two more times within a year before the state would step in.

Every two years BCSD runs a $2.4 million maintenance and operations levy, also called a supplemental levy, which pays for extra- and co-curricular activities, any classes and programs not funded by the state, staff, salaries and school buses. 

Bayer cautioned the board against running both a bond and levy in November, as having both on the ballot at the same time may concern many voters. 

Board vice chair Teresa Rae said the failed school levies at the May election has many districts in a “tail-spin” as they decide what programs and teachers need to be let go for the 2024-25 school year. 

Rae suggested running the levy in November and, if it passes, run the school bond in May 2025. The levy provides funding for extracurricular activities, teachers and courses not required by Idaho Code, such as foreign language, arts, shop and FFA related courses and pays for a new school bus. The levy goes before voters every two years, as taxes for the supplemental levy are only collected for two years. 

Chair Ron MacDonald said the bond wasn’t run this May, as the board still had a lot of questions on what possible funding would come out of the legislative session. If a new law had been implemented providing new funding, the bond language in May would not have reflected that and tax payers may have ended paying more than if the district wanted to run the bond later.

Trustee Candy Kelly said it's hard to pass both at the same time. She was also in favor of running supplemental in November 2024 and if it passes, running a school bond in May 2025. 

Bayer said if the bond is run May 2025, and fails and runs again in November 2025, that is still within failing in a two year window and the district can turn it over to the state. 

“It prolongs fixing the school another six months, and it's a strategy for the hand we’ve been dealt,” Rae said. 

If the bond passes the district will not be built right away, as it will take up to three months to sell the bonds. 

To pass, an M&O levy needs 51% of votes in favor. On Nov.  3, 2020, the levy failed at 46%, but passed March 202 by 51%. In March 2023 the $2.4 million levy passed by 55%. This levy will expire in June 2025, and if a new levy passes, it would start July 1, 2025. 

Rae said if levy fails in November 2024, and in May 2025, then the district won’t have money to retain staff. In order to make cuts the district would look at consolidating personnel and students by closing outling schools, such as Mt Hall Elementary and Naples Elementary schools. 

“The reality is if we don’t pass an M&O, one of two things will happen, we’ll have to consolidate all of our elementary schools or we’re going to have to doubleshift our middle school and high school,” Bayer said.  “That is the only way for the economy of scale to make enough cuts to make it happen.” 

That would allow the district to cut additional personal, maintenance costs, and consolidate food services. 

“It’s not a threat, it’s reality,” said Rae, noting that teachers and classified positions would be cut. 

A major concern is that special education services will be affected, as the district will not be able to afford aides for special needs students. However, the district is required to provide special education. Annually $1.6 million of the district's budget goes to special education. 

“The scary reality will be consolidating all those programs in a small area,” Bayer said. “One thing everyone has to realize is that 100% of our extra-co-curriculars are on the M&O.”

She said should the levy fail twice, she would advise trustees to not switch to a pay-to-play program for co- and extracurriculars, as the public voted against providing the programs. Additionally, moving to a fundraising structure for sports could exaggerate any Title IX issues. 

“You cannot let people fundraise for this program and not that one,” she said. “If the community chooses not to vote for it, [the board] has to be strong and say, “we are not having it until they pass it.” 

Trustee Mike Ferguson said he hopes the district can come out with some facts so people are aware of the situation. 

“I know there are going to be people that come back afterwards saying ‘you should have told me,’” he said. 

The board did not approve any motions. Instead, a decision is expected at the June 17 meeting. A budget meeting will be held at 5:30 p.m., followed by the board meeting at 6 p.m.