Portion of The Landings could switch to Cd’A

COEUR d'ALENE — Registered voters in the western section of The Landings subdivision will head to the polls next month to choose a school district.

Existing school boundaries, established in 1948, place the development of homes in the northwest section of Coeur d'Alene in the Post Falls School District. On Nov. 3, residents of the subdivision west of Carrington Lane will have the opportunity to vote to annex the area into the Coeur d'Alene School District.

The annexation process was not driven by either of the involved districts. Last October, west Landings homeowners presented an annexation request, along with a petition containing 230 signatures, to the Coeur d'Alene and Post Falls School Districts.

"Atlas Elementary, which is zoned in the Coeur d'Alene School District, is only 1.6 miles away," the letter attached to the petition states. "Some of our children are currently being bussed to Ponderosa Elementary in the Post Falls School District, 6.5 miles away."

There are an estimated 253 children living in the neighborhood, 85 of them currently attending Coeur d'Alene schools on a transfer.

Under the district's open enrollment policy, students from other districts are able to apply for enrollment and transfer to Coeur d'Alene schools. These students are accepted based on available space and the child's individual needs. State funding for out-of-district children is transferred to the Coeur d'Alene School District from the incoming student's home district.

Idaho code required both school district boards to consider the request during the next regular meeting. The two boards of trustees' recommendations — whether the annexation should proceed or not — were then forwarded to the state board of education.

On Jan. 15, the state board of education held a public hearing at Atlas Elementary in Hayden to determine if the annexation was in the best interest of the children who live in the neighborhood. The hearing, which was led by Lewiston attorney Edwin Litteneker, also took into consideration whether the excision of land from the Post Falls School District's tax base would leave the district with a bonded debt that exceeds the limit allowed under state law.

Seven individuals attended the January meeting, according to Litteneker's report to the SBOE. The report concludes with the attorney stating that the annexation request is in compliance with state statute, and recommending that it be approved and placed on the ballot.

The SBOE agreed with Litteneker's recommendation in April, which set the wheels in motion for the annexation to appear of the November ballot.

If approved by voters in the Landings, the move will add an estimated $45 million to the district's tax base. Although the proposed annexation would not result in additional property tax dollars for the school district, it will increase the number of property owners paying off bonds and levies which reduces each individual taxpayer's share. The annexation would also increase the tax burden for Post Falls property owners.

A sample ballot for the annexation is available at http://bit.ly/1jQOiFY.