The Whitefish School District Board of Trustees is asking the City Council to raise the amount of tax-increment money it’s willing to put toward lowering a bond request to build a new $19 million high school.

Instead of the $1.75 million first suggested by the council, the school district would like to see a $2.5 million commitment.

The aim, board chairwoman Pat Jarvi said, is to get the school bond request down to $14 million.

“We think we stand a much better chance of passing a bond if we get that figure down to $14 million,” Jarvi said.

At a special meeting on Dec. 16, the board directed Superintendent Kate Orozco to send a letter to the city about the $2.5 million request.

In the letter, she wrote, “In a previous straw poll on Nov. 7, the council unanimously supported committing funds to the project at the level of $1.75 million, which was the combination of a $1 million upfront commitment related to the passage of a school bond plus a $750,000 challenge grant offered in an effort to encourage private fundraising.

“Since that time, private fundraising efforts were commenced and generated significant feedback from consistent local donors indicating they require the city to make a commitment, prior to contributing any private funds.”

She said the bond request needs to be reduced to $14 million to demonstrate fiscal restraint.

City Manager Chuck Stearns said the council will review the request at the next meeting in January. The mayor, however, could call a special meeting before then.

New council members John Anderson, Richard Hildner and Frank Sweeney officially will take their seats at the next regular meeting, while current council member John Muhlfeld will be sworn in as mayor.

The incoming council members said during the election they support the high school bond, but have not put a dollar amount on how much they think the city should give.

Departing council member Turner Askew, who initiated the idea of city support for the high school bond, said he will encourage the new council to consider the school board’s request for more money.

Some council members at the Dec. 5 meeting said the city shouldn’t set a maximum on how much the city will put toward lowering the bond.

Bill Kahle said he wasn’t comfortable with pinning down a set figure. The $1.75 million option, he said, was a minimum, not the maximum he’d consider.

Phil Mitchell said he didn’t agree with the $1.75 million option and that the city should look to give more.

Chris Hyatt noted that it could be difficult to find private donations to back the bond.

“I look at three very gifted fundraisers who finally got the auditorium done,” he said, referring to the number of years it took to pay for the Whitefish Middle School auditorium remodel.

To help reach the $14 million to $15 million mark, the school district said it would put $1 million from the  tax-increment money it already receives toward furnishing a new school. The district also is looking at raising $500,000 in private funds to build a performing arts area  for the proposed new school.

A reported $1 million pledge from the Iron Horse Foundation may not happen, Jarvi said, and isn’t being factored into calculations for a bond request.

The school board will vote in January to set the final bond amount.