The Kalispell School District will put forward three levies to supplement its annual budget and make various building repairs to schools throughout the district. The school board has yet to decide the cost of the levies, but all three will be put before the voters on May 8.
The ballot will include operational levies for both the elementary and high schools and a high school building reserve levy. According to school officials, an operational levy supplements money that comes from the state to fund the school’s day-to-day operations, whereas a building reserve levy would only fund infrastructure and technology improvements.
“We’re not going to ask for anything more than what we need,” said Superintendent Darlene Schottle.
Schottle said the building reserve levy would mostly fund improvements at Flathead High School, which she said has some of the biggest needs in the district. Currently the school has problems with its heating and air condition systems.
Mike Kofford, who does community outreach for the school district, said the building reserve levies are usually needed every five years. The last time a high school building reserve passed was in 2005; subsequent levies in 2010 and 2011 failed. An elementary building reserve levy for $2.8 million was passed in 2010.
The last time operating levies passed was in 2007 – $634,000 for the high schools and $50,000 for the elementary schools. Kofford said the levies usually supplement the district’s annual budget and when the money doesn’t come in, issues arise.
“When you have that type of (financial) gap, money becomes an issue,” Kofford said. “A lot of people think that when we ask for levies that it’s to cover a deficit, but it’s really anticipating future needs.”
Schottle said she plans on working to let the community know about the district’s needs and how important the three levies are, adding she thinks the district will be successful in getting the additional funding.
“Schools are important community assets and we need to keep them maintained,” she said. “I’m really hopeful (they will pass), but you can never be 100 percent sure.”