CHS tour shows need for levy

COEUR d’ALENE — The few community members who attended Wednesday night’s bond/levy informational meeting had only good things to say about the prospects of the Coeur d’Alene School District trying to pass something next spring.

About 30 community members, district administration and board members met at Coeur d’Alene High School to talk about the needs of the district and what passing a new bond or levy might imply.

Everyone went on a tour of the building to see first hand its needs. The portable classrooms and the gymnasium were highlights of how the school could become safer for students and a better place to host community events such as big games and even graduation.

After touring the high school, the group was given a presentation about what the differences between bonds and levies are as well as some options the school board is currently considering.

“I learned the needs of the facilities are large and apparent,” said Rob Decker, a parent whose son is currently in sixth grade. “It seems overdue for the community to produce funding for facilities because it is really important for the schools.”

The group looked at the main options the district currently has for renewing its two-year $30 million levy and adding another $2 million to it as well as passing another bond, anywhere from $26 to $38 million, all without raising current tax rates.

The Long Range Planning Committee has laid out priority maintenance and construction projects for the district. Those can be found on the front page of the district’s website, cdaschools.org, as well as more bond and levy information.

Some big-ticket items are to finish projects at both high schools such as adding on to gymnasiums and expanding the building so portable classrooms are no longer needed.

The school board has indicated the $2 million addition to the levy would be to update the district’s school bus fleet.

Casey Morrisroe, board chair, told the group that not only does the state not fund infrastructure, it also doesn’t fund maintaining buses.

“During the recession the board decided to forgo maintaining the bus fleet,” Morrisroe said. “But now that’s catching up to us.”

Rosie Astoquia, a retired district administrator and concerned citizen, decided everything the board presented is worth pursuing.

“Just looking at the success of the 2012 bond and levy, I was here at that time and it was very successful. I would certainly encourage it again,” she said. “If we’re looking at being able to not raise taxes while paying off two bonds at once, then yes, do it.”

One concern some people had was that the district needs to make sure it is asking for the correct amount of money it needs.

Morrisroe said the last bond the district ran didn’t cover all the costs of the projects it was intended to fund. The district had to pull some money out of its own general fund to make up the difference.

Larry Schwenke’s kids went through the school district and now all of his grandchildren are going through it, too.

“I hope we don’t sell our community short,” he said. “If the community says let’s do as many projects as we can, we have to ask for what we really need.”

Another common concern is that community members who moved here from out of state might not be aware that in Idaho, it’s the responsibility of the communities to fund construction projects for the schools, not the state government’s.

Lisa May, chair of the Long Range Planning Committee, concluded the meeting on a passionate note.

“Facts are facts,” she said. “There’s important work to be done and I think people will be on the right side of history. The worst thing that can happen is it will not pass and we will run it again.”