RATHDRUM, Idaho – The Lakeland Joint School District is considering declaring a financial state of emergency after a supplemental levy failed to pass in November.
The district’s Board of Trustees is set to meet on Wednesday night to discuss potential budget cuts for the upcoming school year. Superintendent Lisa Arnold previously indicated that significant cuts are expected.
“Um right now everything’s on the table and we’re just trying to figure out what to do in a way that protects the classroom instruction to the best of our ability,” Arnold said last month.
Despite multiple public meetings, the district has not yet determined where cuts will be made. The community hopes to gain more insight during the upcoming meeting, where the school’s attorney will explain the process of declaring a financial emergency.
If the district declares a financial state of emergency, staff paychecks could be impacted. The failure of the levy means $10 million will be cut from the district’s $40 million budget. In such a state, school board trustees have the authority to break contracts with staff and negotiate compensation changes.
Teachers in the district have expressed concern over this possibility. According to Idaho state law, a financial state of emergency can be declared if the district’s general fund is reduced by more than 3% from the previous year. Lakeland’s budget will see a 25% reduction.
Recent board meetings have faced criticism from the community, as many parents and teachers were unable to attend due to limited capacity at the district office. Attendees had to watch the meeting via a Facebook live stream once the building reached its limit.
In response to these complaints, the district has moved the location of Wednesday’s meeting to Lakeland Middle School, allowing more people to attend. The meeting will begin at 6:00 p.m.
