Voters have powerful say in school funding

On Aug. 25, 2006, Idaho’s funding for K-12 education took a dramatic turn.

After a one-day special legislative session, lawmakers cut $260 million out of the state’s property tax pie. That move was accompanied by a 1 percent increase in the state’s sales tax, which aimed to bring in $210 million.

Many taxpayers rejoiced. Then-Gov. Jim Risch was responding to what looked more and more like a property tax revolt, as property values were skyrocketing and homeowners were feeling the pain of rapidly increasing tax burdens over which they had no control.

The extra penny added to the sales tax was targeted to fill in all but $50 million of the property tax hole, which thanks to a strong economy, some experts figured would be made up by increased sales and naturally higher income taxes.

That all happened in the heart of the economic boom — and just before the Great Recession brought everything crashing down. The recession cut a deep swath in public education funding, slicing dollars that some districts still are trying to make up.

By design, the tax shift had led to school districts asking patrons to support certain funding items through supplemental levies, a relatively little-used device prior to 2006.

Fast forward 15 years, and 92 of the 115 Idaho school districts are at this moment collecting supplemental levy funding from property taxpayers. The supplemental levies are in either one-year or two-year increments; Kootenai County’s three largest school districts all are operating with two-year levies.

Under the leadership of former Gov. Butch Otter and now Gov. Brad Little, task force recommendations and legislative approval have bolstered some areas of public ed funding, like teacher pay. But in the past decade and a half, “supplemental” funding has become “essential” funding for most school districts, making up a quarter to a third of some overall operating budgets.

No matter who intended what, when, the reality is that the overall quality of local education is now intimately linked to passage of supplemental levies.

We offer this brief history lesson as Lakeland, Post Falls and Coeur d’Alene school districts all have supplemental levy ballot measures going before voters March 9. In a series of articles, The Press is providing citizens with detailed information about how those funds will be spent if the measures pass, and how much they will cost taxpayers.

As if on cue, the Kootenai County Republican Party is preparing opposition. A recent KCGOP political ad outlines the local school district funding requests and urges voters to “send a message to reduce the costs!”

“We the people can control our children’s education through the pursestrings!” it says.

We the people have always controlled our children’s education through the pursestrings, but as an Aug. 25, 2006, decision dictated, voters now wield more power to directly assist or damage their neighborhood schools.

As you consider your ballot measure, keep in mind that we the people can also control our children’s education through active participation, communication and cooperation. That and providing adequate resources is the prescription for good schools and strong communities.