Coeur d'Alene School District: Levy funding has become vital piece of school funding

"Invest, inspire, innovate."

These words are on the wall where the Coeur d'Alene School Board meets, reflecting the philosophy of the Coeur d'Alene School District, which serves about 11,000 students in 18 schools: a developmental preschool, 11 elementary schools, three middle schools, two traditional high schools and an alternative high school.

Four schools offer full-time kindergarten and a special needs preschool program is housed in the Coeur d'Alene Early Learning Center.

Coeur d'Alene offers educational choices through Ramsey Magnet School of Science and Sorensen Magnet School of the Arts and Humanities, as well as through Fernan STEM Academy's science, technology, engineering and math focus, Northwest Expedition Academy's project-based learning model and Hayden Meadows Elementary's focus on technology.

The Coeur d'Alene School District is one of the largest employers in Idaho's five northern counties, providing full-time work for 1,231 people — 682 certified and administrative staff, and 549 classified.

It runs a fleet of 62 buses that transport 4,000 students each day. About 6,500 student meals are served daily.

Technology throughout the district includes fiberoptic connections to all buildings and internet access in all classrooms.

The district operates on an annual budget of nearly $83 million, a quarter of which is supplied by levy funds.

On March 9, those who live in the Coeur d'Alene School District will be asked to vote on a $20 million-per-year replacement/supplemental levy that will provide $40 million over two years. The present $20 million-per-year two-year levy expires June 30.

"We’re asking for what we believe is the amount that we need to run the district," Coeur d'Alene School District Superintendent Steve Cook said during a recent meeting with the Press editorial board. "It’s not like we’re asking for $20 million going, 'But we’ll be happy with $10 million.' We’re dialed in. This is what we need to run the district."

Levy funds support vital services and positions that aren't covered by state money, including: school nurses; mental health professionals; technology for students and staff; half of the funding for Kootenai Technical Education Campus, which is also funded by Post Falls and Lakeland districts; music, art and P.E. classes; advanced classes to prepare students for college and careers; athletics and extracurriculars; and school resource and campus safety officers.

"Our campus security officers have been huge,” Coeur d'Alene School Board Chair Jennifer Brumley said. "They have been key in relationships with at-risk kids and with some of the safety pieces they have brought to administration that has kept kids safer, whether it’s seeing guns in cars, drugs in the hallway.”

Although Coeur d'Alene is the sixth-largest district in the state, it is No. 34 in terms of local property tax collected per student.

Coeur d'Alene's 2020-2021 enrollment of 10,044 students and total levy amount of $24,591,896 equals $2,448 per student, including the supplemental levy plus bonds that were approved in 2017 and 2012.

In comparison, Blaine County, No. 1 for property tax collected per student, levy funding of $32,071,639 for enrollment of 3,156 equals $10,162 per student.

"We're not asking for an increase," communications director Scott Maben said. "Our tax rate is going down."

At $1.79 per $1,000 assessed taxable value, Coeur d'Alene has a tax rate that is remaining flat or even decreasing. For a homeowner with a home worth $300,000 and with a taxable value of $200,000, the school tax bill was $358 for fiscal year 2020. This same homeowner will see a decrease of $16 per month with a levy renewal.

The community has consistently supported Coeur d'Alene School District levies since 1986, despite a 2006 tax shift when the state put it to homeowners to shoulder more of a financial burden to support their local schools.

"That's a long time to build something, to create something, community support," Maben said. "The local levy has become an integral part of how we fund public education in Idaho. Most school districts are relying on their communities to help cover the shortfall in state support, and our students have benefitted from strong local support for our levy over many years."

Brumley said for those who may be frustrated with the district, a "no" vote on the levy will hamstring efforts to move forward.

"If you want us back to where we were before the pandemic, you will make it impossible if this levy doesn't pass," she said. "What it will look like post-pandemic without the $20 million is anyone's guess, and that's very scary to me."

She said if the district is to come out better on the other side of the pandemic, that $20 million is a necessity.

"This community has done a phenomenal job of understanding that we don’t teach kids with the bare minimum," Brumley said. "We teach kids because our community has supported us with extras, and if we lose those extras, we’ll lose a lot of what makes Coeur d’Alene School District great, and what makes kids coming out of this district great."

Absentee ballots are available for the March 9 election. The deadline to submit an absentee ballot is Feb. 26. Visit www.idahovotes.gov to request an absentee ballot.