Seven facts to know before voting on our local levy
1. Our current 2-year levy expires in a few months. We are asking voters to replace it with a new 2-year levy at the same funding level. WE ARE NOT SEEKING AN INCREASE! It will remain $20 million a year.
2. Funding from our local levy is integral to school district operations. It makes up 25% of our annual operating budget.
3. The property tax rate for the school district is GOING DOWN. It has decreased steadily since 2015, and we project it will fall again this year, to $1.71 per $1,000 of taxable assessed value.
4. Our tax rate is now the SECOND LOWEST of the 10 largest school districts in Idaho. Of the 114 school districts in the state, 73 have a higher tax rate than Coeur d'Alene Public Schools.
5. Voters have supported our local levy going all the way back to 1986. This ongoing support has allowed us to build a strong school district that reflects what our community values in educational opportunities for our children.
6. You can request an absentee ballot for the March 9 election. The deadline is this Friday, February 26. To request your absentee ballot, visit idahovotes.gov
7. EARLY VOTING STARTS TODAY: Voting is available at the Kootenai County Elections Office starting today (February 22) and continuing through March 5. The Elections office is open Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM. It's located at 1808 N. 3rd Street, Coeur d'Alene.
Our levy supports school safety
The levy is a major contributor to our comprehensive school safety program, including:
- School resource officers: We have 9 SROs working full time during the school year. Eight are officers with the Coeur d'Alene Police Department and one is a deputy with the Kootenai County Sheriff's Office.
- High school campus safety: We have an additional 4 campus safety officers at Lake City High School and Coeur d'Alene High School.
- Crossing guards at busy intersections.
- Threat assessments, crisis assistance, safety plans, and anti-bullying education.
Our levy supports student health and suicide prevention programs
Levy funding provides mental health support for students and staff, including suicide prevention programs. The Question, Persuade, Refer program, and the Sources of Strength curriculum, are valuable resources in our schools.
Our levy resources allow teachers to develop students' skills and knowledge to prepare them for the careers of tomorrow
Here's just a taste of our course offerings:
- Culinary arts
- Street law
- Health professions
- Statistics
- Computer science
- Entrepreneurship
- Aquatic science
- Engineering
- Web and game design
- Survival science
- Economics
Our levy supports KTEC
Our support for the Kootenai Technical Education Campus (over $500,000 a year comes from our levy) provides our students skilled trades education in these fields:
- Computer repair and networking
- Industrial welding and metal fabrication
- Health professions/certified nursing
- Automotive technology
- Automated manufacturing and design
- Construction trades
- Diesel technology
- Resort Academy (lodging management)
- Collision and repair
- HVAC
Our levy supports student athletics
Sports opportunities in our schools include basketball, football, baseball, soccer, cross country, wrestling, track and field, swimming, cheerleading, golf, softball, and tennis.
Our levy supports student activities
Levy funding also supports dozens of other extracurricular activities in our schools.
Just to name a few: student council and Key Club, music and drama, debate and speech, yearbook and business, rock climbing and bowling, skeet and trap, and many other student clubs and activities.
Our local levy supports teacher salaries
To make sure we can attract high-quality employees and keep them here in our community, we dedicate millions of dollars from our levy to paying teachers, classroom assistants, coaches, bus drivers, custodians, kitchen workers, office staff, substitute teachers, school principals, and many other employees.
Our local levy supports new school buses
Each year we aim to replace the 6 oldest buses in the District, and each new bus costs about $100,000. Levy funds make it possible to buy new buses, equipped with seat belts.
Our levy supports student technology
Our levy supports building maintenance
The levy does all this and much more
Community support through our local levy touches nearly every facet of running a school district our size, from classrooms to gyms, cafeterias to libraries, parking lots to athletic fields.
Coeur d'Alene Public Schools is the 6th largest district in Idaho based on student enrollment. But in terms of local property tax spending per student, we rank 34th of all Idaho school districts.
By being efficient and fiscally conservative, we have kept costs down while dedicating levy funding to the highest priorities.
By asking voters to approve a levy every two years, we are able to bridge the gap between what the state provides us and the cost of meeting the educational expectations of our community.
Our local levy ensures our students continue to receive quality education in a safe and supportive environment.
Learn more about our local levy on our website.
Election Day is March 9. It's easy to request your absentee ballot, or vote early now!
If you are registered to vote in Idaho, just point your phone camera at this QR code to submit your ballot request.
The deadline to request your ballot for the March 9 election is February 26. Or visit idahovotes.gov.
IMPORTANT DATES
- Feb. 22 - Early voting begins today and continues through March 5 at the Kootenai County Elections Office, 1808 N. 3rd Street.
- Feb. 26 - Last day to request absentee ballot for March 9 election.
- March 9 - Levy Election Day
