COEUR d'ALENE - Increases in enrollment at all three of the school districts in Kootenai County prompted two boards to approve emergency levies last week.

In accordance with state statute, school districts that see an increase over the previous year's attendance can authorize an emergency levy without voter approval to meet the demands of a growing student population. The Coeur d'Alene School District saw the largest increase in enrollment and approved a $1,202,413 emergency levy on Friday afternoon.

"We'll be able to hang tight this year and can manage the overcrowding because of the six additional classrooms we brought online this year with the construction of our larger Winton Elementary School," said Superintendent Matt Handelman. "We've already begun strategizing for how we will manage the continued growth we are expecting over the next several years."

District attendance increased by 261 students this year - a number calculated through the average daily attendance of the first three days of school. That increase brings the average daily attendance to 10,578 students.

Taxpayers, according to a news release, could pay as much as 14.84 cents per $1,000 of taxable property. For a taxable value of a $200,000 home, the annual projected cost could be a one-year $12.39 increase.

The emergency levy dollars will be used for hiring additional teachers and overage assistants, purchasing curriculum materials, adding technology, purchasing furniture, and possibly operating more school bus routes.

Enrollment increased by 36 students at the Lakeland Joint School District this year. Superintendent Brad Murray told The Press Monday that the district qualified, and received board approval, for an emergency levy in the amount of $184,140.

"These levy dollars will be used to hire additional teaching staff in a few of our schools that have seen substantial growth at specific grade levels," Murray said. "Any funds remaining will be appropriated as needed toward instructional material and supply costs to support our student growth."

The southern end of the school district - from the Radiant Lake area, east to Majestic Park, and south to Lancaster near the Kootenai Technical Education Campus - has experienced the most growth.

"In anticipation of this growth, our school district went through the process of realigning our elementary school boundaries leading up to this school year," Murray said.

Realigning the boundaries provided the district with a better distribution of student enrollment at its four southern elementary schools, he added. The district also had a number of new students enter Lakeland High School this year, and Murray said the size of the junior class is much larger than anticipated.

Murray added that the estimated amount to be collected on a typical home of $100,000 taxable value is $8.16.

According to Superintendent Jerry Keane the Post Falls School District qualified for an emergency levy because of its enrollment increase of 65 students. However, district officials did not ask the board to approve an emergency levy.

"We agreed not to raise taxes during our supplemental and bond levy campaigns last spring for the 2016 fiscal year," Keane told The Press Monday.

The district is watching a few classrooms closely to see if it needs to add additional staff, he added. It is also seeing a significant rise in its special education student population.

"Many of these new students require one-on-one assistance," Keane said. "We have added some certified staff and paraprofessional staff to deal with this influx."