CDA SCHOOL LEVY: Now voting yes

The Idaho Constitution requires the legislature to establish and maintain (fund) public schools. However, over the past two decades a legislative choice reduced state support, shifting any additional funding needs to local property taxes.

I was a solid no on the last SD 271 levy election. Perpetuity and my perception of a lack of maintenance planning made that vote an easy choice.

After the March levy failure, I contacted my trustee and asked for a more fiscally reasonable approach that I can personally plan for as a retiree. For the May levy, the district dropped the perpetuity timeline and eliminated the maintenance levy. While I would have preferred a reduction in the $25 million price tag of the current levy, I can’t support just yanking the fiscal rug out from underneath the schools without proper notice. Therefore, I will be voting yes on this current two-year request.

That said, the school district must adjust to the reality that taxpayers, even those that support schools, have budgetary limits. I will budget the additional $14 per month increase for the next two years so the district can retain teachers while they adjust program spending to meet their new fiscal reality as well as work on the maintenance backlog from current levy funds.

If this levy is defeated there will be a 25% reduction in district funds. Voters should provide fiscal stability while working with the district and legislature on a needed tax shift for school funding. Only 28% of registered voters participated in the last election. Regardless of your position on school funding, vote this election or live with the results.

DAN SOUMAS

Hayden