Financial emergency, reduced levy could be reality for Lakeland

RATHDRUM — Although no votes were cast during Monday's four-hour special meeting of the Lakeland School Board, trustees appear to be leaning toward rerunning a supplemental levy election for a lower amount in May.

Part of this process most likely means declaring a financial emergency.

Chair Michelle Thompson said the board must give direction to staff to declare the emergency since the levy did not pass.

"That will help us along the way," she said. "Declaring a financial emergency, if we are able to run the levy again and it passes, then the financial emergency will be rescinded."

According to Idaho law, a board of trustees shall hold a public meeting to receive input about possible solutions to the financial problems facing the district. The Idaho State Department of Education must certify the emergency, which will remain in effect for one year. 

If approved, the board will have the power to reopen the salary and benefits compensation aspects of its negotiated agreement with employees, including the length of certificated contracts and the amount of compensation and benefits.

Trustees worked on an interactive budget spreadsheet with Superintendent Lisa Arnold, Assistant Superintendent Lynn Paslay and Chief Financial Officer Jessica Grantham to get to the $9.52 million the district must reduce for one version of the budget, but still could not get all the way to the necessary amount. This was even with a four-day school week and mass reductions made across the board.

Trustee Randi Bain had previously stated she would be in favor of a $7.5 million levy. Trustee Bob Jones, who was absent and home recovering from surgery, sent a comprehensive commentary that was read by longtime Lakeland teacher and Lakeland Education Association representative Jason Bradbury.

Through his letter, Jones stated he supported running a $7.7 million levy at the recommendation of Arnold, although she had not made that recommendation; the superintendent's recommendation included in the agenda was to rerun the levy, as eliminating the full amount would be catastrophic for the students.

"We are in a difficult place, but we must find a solution and move forward together," Bradbury read from Jones' letter. "Attacking one another, bickering over minutiae details serves to have no useful purpose. It only leads to further divisiveness and a lack of progress toward a united direction.

"We must rerun the levy," he continued, "even if it's going to be a lesser amount than we determined. I am perfectly willing to rely on the recommendations of those in charge of the day-to-day operations and know and understand the intimate details of finance to guide the board toward the inevitable reductions" that will be necessary.

The board is expected to share budgetary reductions with the community and request input in the near future.

The annual meeting of the board will be at 6 p.m. Jan. 8.

    Jones