Voters will decide the future of school funding on Tuesday.

RATHDRUM — Compound sentences can be tricky, but part of Shana Hostetler’s job is helping fourth-graders learn all about them.

It was a lesson Friday afternoon at Betty Keefer Elementary School, where she encouraged her students to read aloud and point out where to place punctuation.

Hostetler taught in the Lakeland Unified School District for 25 years.

“We do great things in our schools,” she said, leaving the classroom for a moment. “Our children are studying. Our children are happy to come to school. The lights come on every single day.”

The Lakeland School District will ask voters to go to the polls Tuesday to vote on a two-year, $9.5 million supplemental levy that, if approved, would replace a current levy of the same amount that expires at the end of the school year. .

The levy gives the district 25% of its total $40 million budget, the lion’s share of which goes to staff salaries and benefits.

Lakeland Superintendent Lisa Arnold said when schools are strong, the community is strong. She was out in the community, participating in personal conversations and sharing tax information on social media.

Arnold said community members have asked for easier collections, and she and her team have been working to fulfill that request.

“We understand that parents have a lot of choices in Idaho, and I am 100% for parental choice. I just want Lakeland to be at the top of the list of options,” she said.

Lakeland voters approved the current levy in May 2023, as well as a two-year school enterprise levy of $1.146 million per year. They were passed after both measures failed to reach the required voter threshold in the March 2023 election. The Coeur d’Alene school district suffered the same fate, but was able to secure sufficient voter approval for the second time.

Skepticism was relatively quiet in the lead-up to this election, Arnold said. She said she spoke to local political groups and leaders at their invitation and asked for neutrality, not support.

A tax requires 50% plus one to pass.

Arnold said Lakeland school board trustees have not made any public statements regarding what would happen if the levy fails.

“I would not recommend that the board repeat this event,” she said.

Lakeland operates small district schools that require more staff than the state pays for. The levy funds make that possible, Arnold said.

“The decision on how to implement these cuts will really be made by the board,” she said.

The Lakeland School District has three administrators, up from five before Arnold became superintendent. It employs 700 permanent employees and about 70 visiting teachers. People make up 87% of the budget, the remaining 13% is discretionary: water, electricity, utilities and so on.

Lakeland averages about 23 students per class. Staff reductions will result in more children and fewer teachers in each classroom.

“It’s definitely going to happen,” Arnold said.

Arnold said that since most of the budget is made up of people and fees make up 25% of that budget, staff cuts will be inevitable.

If the tax is not passed, it will also have a negative impact on athletics and extracurricular activities such as music and art.

The one message Arnold wants to convey, especially to many newcomers to Idaho and the Lakeland School District who may not fully understand why Idaho does not fully fund its public schools, is that people should reach out to them when they have questions.

“My goal for everyone in this county is to have enough accurate information to make an informed decision for their families,” she said. “If at the end of the day they don’t feel like they can say yes, as long as they do it from a place of understanding and facts, then I can live with that.”

Contact Arnold at 208-687-0431 ext. 1111 or visit sd272.org for more information.

SIDE PANEL

Voters living in the Coeur d’Alene School District will also be asked to consider extending the district’s current two-year levy of $25 million per year, which expires June 30, 2025. This community-supported fee covers 25% of the cost. support educational programs and services not funded by the government. Information: cdaschools.org.

The Post Falls School District will not hold a tax election Tuesday. Elections are expected to be held on the next available election date in May 2025.