Kalispell Public Schools will ask voters next month to approve 10-year technology tax levies of $600,000 a year for the elementary district and $600,000 annually for the high school district.

The schools will conduct a mail-ballot election seeking public approval of the extra property taxes.

The money would be limited to technology-related expenses, primarily to maintain current equipment and networks, replace aging equipment and train personnel.

“Technology is something that affects every student at every single school,” Superintendent Darlene Schottle said.

The high school technology levy would cost taxpayers who own homes valued at $200,000 an extra $14.18 a year.

The elementary technology levy would increase taxes $33.32 on a $200,000 home.

Only voters in Kalispell will vote on the elementary levy. The high school levy request will be decided by voters both in Kalispell and rural school districts outside Kalispell that send students to Flathead and Glacier high schools.

Roughly 40,000 ballots will be mailed to voters April 21. They will be due back by May 6.

The tax requests come at a time when technology is a necessity in education. The new state standardized test, for example, which is currently being field-tested, is computerized.

Technology components also are embedded throughout the Montana Common Core Standards and it is commonplace to find students in the classroom on computers or using tablets in addition to traditional print media to learn, complete assignments or do research.

This is the first time the district will seek a technology-only levy. In the past, the district has funded technology from combined building and technology levies.

The high school district has been without a building/technology levy for the last three years; there is one year left on the elementary district’s building reserve and technology levy.

School board trustee elections also will be on the ballot. There are four seats open on the board, all with three-year terms.

One item that will not be on the ballot involves permission for the district to purchase land.

The district had planned to purchase a 25-acre property on Airport Road as a future school building site, but that property has been sold.

The district will continue to look for property as a future building site to accommodate continued enrollment growth at the elementary level.

With current elementary enrollment, Schottle said it is probable that an additional three to four teachers would need to be hired next school year.

“We have 19 kindergarten classrooms that will be rolling into what was 16 first-grade classrooms,” Schottle said.

Reporter Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or by email at [email protected].