Taxpayers living in the high school district of Kalispell Public Schools will see a $500,000 general fund levy issue on the November ballot.

General fund levies cover costs involved in the day-to-day operation of schools such as salaries, curriculum and textbooks, utilities, technology and maintenance.

If approved, owners of homes valued at $200,000 can anticipate annual taxes to increase by $9.52.

The high school district includes taxpayers living in Kalispell and partner school districts whose students feed into Flathead and Glacier high schools.

During a school board meeting Tuesday, trustee Amy Waller raised a concern about making the request, considering possible hardships community members may be facing. She asked Kalispell Public Schools Director of Business Services and Operations Gwyn Andersen for more information on what the needs are.

Andersen said the district has to meet its upcoming obligations on collective bargaining agreements in the 2021-22 school year.

“We’re half a million dollars short of meeting our obligations to those collective bargaining agreements on the high school district side,” Andersen said.

Andersen also reminded the board of the general budget shortfall on the 2020-21 budget, which the board approved using interlocal agreement funds to cover if necessary. She cautioned trustees about the repeated use of the interlocal agreement fund, which she likened to a savings account, as a short-term solution to a long-term problem.

“We did it last year and we’re doing it again this year, but at some point you certainly don’t want to deplete your savings account,” Andersen said.

Typically, money from this cash fund is meant for one-time expenses, not ongoing ones such as salaries, for example.

Andersen emphasized the need for a levy.

“Remember on the high school side we’re at 92% of our maximum [allowable budget] — probably the lowest percent in the entire state of Montana,” Andersen said. “Every year we don’t make movement on that ... we fall further behind.”

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