COEUR D’ALENE, Idaho — A major issue on the upcoming November ballot for Coeur d’Alene voters is a $25 million levy to replace the existing levy for Coeur d’Alene Public Schools, which expires at the end of the 2024-2025 school year. Without the levy, the district told NonStop Local it would have to make significant budget cuts.
If passed, the new levy would not change the assessed property tax rate for local schools. The estimated average annual cost to taxpayers is $93 per $100,000 of taxable assessed value.
Superintendent Dr. Shon Hocker told NonStop Local that the current levy funds 25% of the district’s operating budget, and if it fails, significant changes would have to be made.
“We have 16 schools… Without the levy funding, we would have to close four schools,” Hocker said.
Additionally, if the levy fails, more than 300 staff members, including teachers, librarians, and others, would be let go. This would lead to increased class sizes, the loss of career technical education programs (KTEC), and the elimination of extracurricular activities, such as performing arts and sports.
“With a reduction of 25% of funding, we’re going to have to have some significant shifts in what that might look like,” Hocker said.
The district saw a decline in enrollment in 2023, which has affected funding. Plus, the State of Idaho changed how it allocates funding for public schools.
“They transitioned from funding students based upon enrollment and they changed it to an attendance-based model. And, naturally speaking, most students do not have 100% attendance every day,” Hocker said.
Dr. Hocker also said that the loss of funding could set back student achievement.
“Of all of our large school districts in the State of Idaho, we’re number two. And we are very close to being number one. We do a really good job with the resources that we have in getting performance from our students. So, the loss of levy funding would drastically affect that specific achievement,” Hocker said.
While many plan to vote ‘Yes’ in support of the replacement levy, others, like Dawn Pratt, are not convinced.
Pratt removed her children from the district a year ago and opted for homeschooling. She told NonStop Local that she pulled her children from the district over curriculum concerns and because of her frustration with levies approved by voters in 2023.
“I voted ‘No’ because the first levy was supposed to take care of all the problems and get them out of the ‘red.’ But they’re still in the ‘red’,” Pratt said.
Pratt believes other parents across the community share her concerns.
“I think they’ve [Coeur d’Alene Public Schools] proven they are not good with the money. They’re not making the right choices. So, why should we supply more money?” Pratt said.
There is no guarantee that voters will be persuaded to support this levy. Earlier this year, voters in the West Bonner School District opted against extending a levy.
