Voters in the Kootenai and Plummer-Worley school districts will consider supplemental levy proposals on March 10.

A simple majority vote (50 percent, plus one) is needed for the proposals to pass.

The funds would be used to supplement state dollars and be spent on transportation, classroom materials, curriculum and technology.

The Kootenai district based in Harrison will propose a levy of $900,000 per year for the next two years.

"This should allow us to continue to maintain our current levels of service and complete current projects," Superintendent Lynette Ferguson said.

For the owner of a $200,000 home with a homeowners exemption, the cost of the levy would be $17.75 per month.

The district's current levy is $1.2 million, but that amount was reduced to $900,000 when it was certified, Ferguson said.

At the September board meeting, the school board approved a $300,000 reduction in the amount of the local tax levy.

"It is the goal of the trustees and the superintendent to be fiscally responsible to the patrons of the district and collect only needed funding for operations, maintenance and the sustaining of quality programs and personnel," Ferguson said.

The Plummer-Worley School District will propose a supplemental levy of $550,000 a year for two years, the same amount as the existing levy.

If the proposal passes, "There will be no change (in property taxes) to property owners, as the amount is the same," said Superintendent Judi Sharrett.

For the owner of a $200,000 home with a homeowners exemption, the cost to fund the levy is $18.66 per month.

"We are not asking for the moon," Sharrett said. "If the levy passes ... we would still be functioning at a basic educational level."

Sharrett said the cost of education continues to increase each year just like everything else. At the same time, the district has lost nearly $2 million in state and federal funding since 2007.

"In the last two years, the current supplemental levy has helped tremendously to meet the educational needs of our students," she said. "If a supplemental levy were to fail this year, there will surely be a devastating effect on the district. Local support is more essential than ever to provide a basic, yet comprehensive educational program for our children."

Sharrett said the levy would allow the district to add a science teacher for grades 7-12, a P.E. teacher at the elementary school, continue its athletic program, maintain its art program and two full-time kindergarten classes and offer an alternative class for grades 7-12 for students needing extra motivation to succeed.

Due to budget reductions over the years and despite the current levy, the elementary school has neither a librarian nor a paraprofessional in the library. At the secondary level, Sharrett said the district runs a "bare-bones" vocational program and students need more science and electives.

"However, our school board is sensitive to the increased taxes property owners have been paying in recent years and do not wish to add to the load," she said.

Meanwhile, the St. Maries school board has set a special meeting for Thursday night to decide on a supplemental levy.

"Nothing has been decided on an amount or date of the election," Superintendent Joe Kren said.