MY TURN: Civic engagement, local values and the Nov. 3 Post Falls school levy

When my family moved to Post Falls during my high school years, the community welcomed us warmly. Graduating from Post Falls High School provided me with a firsthand perspective on our local schools and the strong tradition of community involvement in education. 

That experience shaped my understanding of educational fundamentals, local values, and civic responsibility. Today, as superintendent, I consider it a privilege to serve the district that helped shape my path, and I remain dedicated to sharing clear, accurate information about our district's operations.

Article IX governs public education in Idaho; Section 1 of the Idaho Constitution requires the state to "establish and maintain a general, uniform, and thorough system of public, free, common schools." 

Because Idaho’s operational funding model relies primarily on average daily attendance (ADA) rather than total student enrollment, school districts across the state utilize local supplemental levies to bridge the gap between state allocations and actual operational costs.

Because Idaho school districts must return to local voters every one to two years for operational levy requests, Post Falls has maintained a consistent two-year levy cycle to support daily school operations, passing supplemental levies since 1981.

Attendance-based funding has a significant financial impact. Last year, with an average daily attendance rate of 92.6%, the Post Falls School District lost $4,000,000 in state funding due to student absences. 

To keep classroom operations consistent despite these state shortfalls, our district maintains strict fiscal responsibility. Operational planning focuses squarely on essential needs: maintaining safe learning environments, protecting core academics, supporting practical career pathways, offering health services and preparing students from kindergarten through graduation to become informed, civic-minded citizens.

On Nov. 3, voters within the Post Falls School District boundary will consider a replacement supplemental levy request of $6,783,098 per year for two years. While the state categorizes voter-approved school operational funding as "supplemental," these funds support day-to-day operations across all of our district campuses.

For transparency, the following line-item breakdown outlines the components included in the proposed $6,783,098 annual ballot measure:

• Safety, Security, Counseling, and Nursing Support Services ($1,706,833): Funds campus safety measures, school security personnel and professional health and counseling services.

• Extracurricular Student Activities and Athletics ($1,211,767): Sustains operational and transportation costs for student clubs, sports and co-curricular programs.

• Renewal of Funding for Staff Salaries ($1,066,520): Maintains competitive compensation allocations for teaching, specialized, and support personnel.

• Student Behavioral Support Staff ($1,037,319): Provides dedicated classroom behavioral specialists and support staff in all schools.

• K-3 Literacy Support Staff ($947,882): Maintains targeted instructional intervention and reading specialist support for early learners.

• Kootenai Technical Education Campus (KTEC) ($458,777): Covers the district's operational partnership portion for career-technical education and industry certification programs.

• School Bus Replacements ($354,000): Finances the scheduled purchase of two replacement school buses for regular student transit routes.

Representative democracy depends on local participation. Because public education is a fundamental community investment, civic participation is vital. Whether you are a parent, a grandparent, a business owner or a resident, your vote reflects your perspective on how our local schools should operate. 

I urge every registered voter in the Post Falls School District to participate in this election on Tuesday, Nov. 3.

Detailed factual information about the levy, a sample ballot, polling locations and an interactive property tax calculator is available on the district website at www.pfsd.com.

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Anna Wilson is the superintendent of the Post Falls School District.