A $1.5 million high school district general fund levy will be on the May ballot following a unanimous vote by the Kalispell Public Schools board of trustees Tuesday.

Money generated by a general fund levy covers a broad range of costs related to the daily operation of schools and education of students, such as salaries, curriculum, utilities, technology and maintenance.

A levy of any type hasn’t passed in the high school district since 2007. Since that time, high school enrollment has grown by 500 students and the costs of running schools will continue to rise, according to Kalispell Public Schools Superintendent Micah Hill.

Hill gave some examples of areas with increasing costs that a levy would cover such as property liability insurance, which he anticipates will increase by 8% districtwide next school year.

“We’ll also see increases to health insurance, to utilities, garbage service — increases across the board for a lot of those things,” he said.

If the levy is approved, owners of homes with assessed market values of $200,000 may anticipate annual taxes to increase by $25.20. Once approved, the levy is permanent.

“One of the things we’re trying to emphasize with this levy request in the high school district is we’re trying to make it tax neutral by decreasing some of the permissive [non-voted] levies,” Hill said.

The district has hired Billings-based Kinetic Marketing and Creative to lead a levy campaign informing the public of the district’s financial needs and reasoning for the request. The district will pay Kinetic $8,800 to $9,000, depending on the amount of time and services put into the campaign. It will be paid for using money that is not generated by tax sources, such as a fundraiser.

Taxpayers living in the high school district get to vote on the levy. The high school district encompasses Kalispell and 13 surrounding partner schools whose students go on to attend Glacier and Flathead high schools.

ALSO ON the ballot will be contested trustee races in the high school district and elementary district.

In the high school district, there is one trustee position available with a three-year term, representing Somers-Lakeside and Kila schools. Candidates are Lloyd Bondy and incumbent Mark Kornick.

In the elementary district, there are two trustee positions available with three-year terms. Candidates are Dana Bennett, Steven R. Biggs, Jennifer Sevier and Ursula Wilde. Only Kalispell residents will vote on the elementary trustee race.

March 31 is the deadline trustee candidates may withdraw from the election or for people to file the proper paperwork to be a write-in candidate.

Kalispell Public Schools will hold a mail-ballot election. Ballots will be mailed April 18 and are due at the central office, 233 First Avenue East, by 8 p.m. May 3.

Reporter Hilary Matheson may be reached at 406-758-4431 or by email at [email protected].