Despite overcrowding, Lakeland school board denies emergency levy

RATHDRUM—Lakeland School District is figuring out how to handle unexpected growth after Superintendent Becky Meyer's recent request for an emergency levy was shot down 3-2 by the school board.

The $1.5 million funding request for Lakeland schools, with record enrollment of 4,718, is a generally routine mechanism districts across the state use when enrollment grows.

Brian Wallace, the district's Chief of Finance and Operations, broke down the numbers for the board. If the board had approved the entire $2 million the district could legally have added, taxpayers would have paid about 44 cents per $1,000 of taxable property.

With approval of about $1.5 million, which is what was requested, the levy rate would have remained very close to what it was last year.

Staff members pointed out that at least 15 classrooms across the district are overcrowded, with nine of 12 schools being affected.

Spirit Lake Elementary is suffering the most with first, second, third and fifth grade classes being well above the recommended class sizes as defined by the school board.

Meyer and her staff say they need to hire 12 more full-time teachers, and that they need to create 13 new classrooms just to get student numbers under control.

With 377 more students joining the district than were expected, Chromebooks and supporting technology, as well as several para-professionals, are needed.

Board Vice Chair Rob Irons supported hiring more teachers.

“For me it makes sense as a parent that has children in the district that we hired enough teachers for 4,500 students,” he said. “Then the first week of school we have over 4,700. That means we need to hire more teachers.”

“People move here because of the small class sizes,” Irons added. “It is so important to the quality of education.”

Visibly upset, Irons said, “I champion the kids first.”

Other board members were skeptical, saying the budget had not been thoroughly examined to find the needed funds.

“I appreciate that you’re not asking for the full amount,” said Board Chair Michelle Thompson. “Is there any room in the budget that hasn’t been looked at or did you just go straight to the emergency levy?”

Board member Ramona Grissom said she understood the request.

“I know the law allows the option of an emergency levy,” Grissom said. “And I know it must be burdensome for the teachers and the staff, but I have a hard time reaching into people’s pockets when they don’t have a say.”

Wallace demonstrated to the board that for every student in the district, state and federal funding provides 75 cents on the dollar.

“We have a levy that covers 25% of our operating costs,” he said. “So if we have 100 new kids then we’ve incurred 25% more cost on the local because they don’t fully fund us - that’s the bottom line.”

Wallace also has children in the school district.

“I have a freshman at Lakeland High School and as far as some of those big class sizes, I’d like to see them reduced,” he said.

Thompson was adamantly against the emergency levy, saying the district needs to “look in our own house and maybe clean it up.

“I think we should look at everything we have before we go to people and force them to pay more money.”

Meyer took offense to Thompson’s statements. “We’ve run a very tight ship here,” Meyer said. “I don’t think cleaning our house is the issue.”

Meyer requested to add to the meeting minutes that the Lakeland Joint School District has had an audit completed every year that she has been with the school district. Over that time, the district has gone from a negative rating to a “positive, upward trend.”

Meyer went on to say the district is already operating from an approved and carefully allocated budget, that they're taking into account what's best for the district’s students and that the board had requested smaller class sizes.

“If the board does not approve the levy, we will not be able to hire the teachers that we need and we will have to cut in other areas if that is the board’s desire,” Meyer said.

Thompson invited a motion on the matter. Irons submitted a motion to “find a middle ground and authorize a million dollar levy.”

“To keep the tax base below what we had last year and still allow us to hire staff to take care of our students,” Irons said.

Trustees Irons and Randi Bain voted in favor. Michelle Thompson, Debbie Major and Ramona Grissom were opposed.