The rejection by voters of a $4.1 million-high school building reserve levy request in last Tuesday’s election came as something of a shock to local school officials. Such a request had never failed before, so School District No. 5 didn’t spend any money advertising what the levy pays for, and why it’s needed.
“Perhaps, as a school district, we didn’t do a good enough job sharing the impact of this levy,” Kalispell Superintendent Darlene Schottle said. “I believe that part of it is that we just need to share our message better and more clearly.”
The levy failed with 3,806 voters opposed and 3,542 in favor, or 51.8 percent against and 48.2 percent for. Throughout much of Election Night, the high school levy looked as if it was passing narrowly with voter returns coming in from Kalispell residents casting ballots at the Expo Building of the fairgrounds. It was the votes that came in later in the night, however, from county elementary school districts whose students attended Kalispell high schools, which rejected the levy request – often by wide margins. In Kila, the levy failed 117-49; in Evergreen it failed 248-164.
Schottle isn’t sure why the high school levy failed, but she believes the recession was a factor, as well as the two-year-old Glacier High School. The relatively recent construction of such a well-equipped school may lead some voters to think School District 5 is flush with funds.
“We’re well aware this is a tough economic time,” Schottle said. “It’s an impact that we did build a new high school.”
The high school’s building fund is separate from its operating fund, which pays mostly for staffing. The building fund is necessary to maintain Kalispell’s 14 schools and support facilities, including the two high schools, the Linderman Education Center and the H.E. Robinson Vo-Ag Center among others. Of most urgent need, Schottle said, is the replacement of rooftop ventilation and heating units at Flathead High. That school also requires other roof repairs, ceiling repairs and updates to computer and information technology equipment, all of which is put on hold by the levy request’s failure.
The elementary school building reserve levy passed by a healthy margin, however, with 57 percent of voters supporting it. Schottle thinks that may be because residents have a stronger relationship to the elementary school in their community than they to a high school as far as 30 minutes away – even if they don’t have children attending those schools.
“People are usually very closely tied to their neighborhood elementary school,” Schottle said. “There’s a different level of emotional involvement in an elementary school than there is in a high school.”
The school board must now decide whether, and when, to put the high school building levy up for a vote again. State law imposes a minimum of 40 days before putting it up for another vote.
“Maybe we’ll change the amount the levy is for,” Schottle said. “We will consider all options.”