With school elections coming up May 3, some districts have decided whether or not to request voter approval of extra tax levies.

So far, Whitefish and Creston school districts have set levies, while Kalispell Public Schools trustees will continue the discussion at their next work session on March 22.

Whitefish School District is seeking a building reserve levy that would provide $400,000 for the elementary district and $300,000 for the high school district annually over seven years.

Over that time period, this would bring in a total of $2.8 million for the elementary and $2.1 million for the high school to support ongoing facility and property maintenance, renovations, repairs and technology upgrades.

If the levy requests are approved, elementary district taxpayers can anticipate taxes increasing by $21.22 for owners of a home with a $200,000 market value. Taxpayers living in the high school district could see taxes increase by $15.33 on a $200,000 home.

The request comes after the Legislature last year revised the way tax-increment finance money can be used, according to The Whitefish Pilot. The school district has used tax-increment dollars from the city of Whitefish to fund school maintenance since 1987.

Following legislative changes, the district is required to put tax-increment money into a tax-levied building reserve fund, and voter approval is needed.

District Clerk Danelle Reisch said the fund would allow the district to plan for larger capital projects such as replacing a portion of the roof over the high school gym.

“When we redid the high school we didn’t replace the gym roof knowing it needed to be replaced in five years or so,” Reisch said. “But that’s just one thing.”

Creston School District is requesting a five-year levy that would bring in $15,000 annually or a total of $75,000 to renovate and maintain school facilities. Approval of the levy would increase taxes by $16.65 on a home with an assessed value of $200,000.

An informational meeting about the building reserve levy is planned at 7 p.m. April 12 at Creston School.

Columbia Falls School District is not requesting levies this year despite a $32,751 decrease in high school budget authority, according to District Clerk Dustin Zuffelato. Trustees had considered a levy request to maintain the status quo with a minimal increase in taxes, but ultimately decided not to. Zuffelato said the elementary district will have a budget authority increase.

Bigfork School District will not request special levies this year. In October 2015, taxpayers approved a $14 million bond issue to renovate the high school.

All but two Kalispell Public Schools trustees agreed, after considerable discussion March 8, not to seek an elementary district levy this year because of a pending bond issue request (potentially $45 million) this fall to construct new schools as a response to overcrowding.

Discussion about the high school district will continue at 6 p.m. March 22 at Kalispell Middle School. The high school district also is considering bond issues down the road but hasn’t ruled out asking voters to approve a general fund levy this year, or possibly a building reserve.

To maintain the status quo at the high school level without a special levy, district Clerk Gwyn Andersen said, the district would need to dip into one-time money to fund ongoing needs. The high school district’s 2016-17 budget is projected to increase by $377,999, for a total budget of $20,249,062.

“I think we have to do something for the high school district,” trustee Mary Ruby said, with several trustees in agreement.

Hilary Matheson is a reporter for The Daily Inter Lake. She may be reached at 758-4431 or [email protected].