Wednesday, May 14, 2025
55.0°F

Cd'A schools levy fails: 50% of voters approved, but 55% supermajority needed for passage

DEVIN WEEKS | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 2 years, 8 months AGO
by DEVIN WEEKS
Devin Weeks is a third-generation North Idaho resident. She holds an associate degree in journalism from North Idaho College and a bachelor's in communication arts from Lewis-Clark State College Coeur d'Alene. Devin embarked on her journalism career at the Coeur d'Alene Press in 2013. She worked weekends for several years, covering a wide variety of events and issues throughout Kootenai County. Devin now mainly covers K-12 education and the city of Post Falls. She enjoys delivering daily chuckles through the Ghastly Groaner and loves highlighting local people in the Fast Five segment that runs in CoeurVoice. Devin lives in Post Falls with her husband and their three eccentric and very needy cats. | August 31, 2022 1:09 AM

The Coeur d'Alene School District's $8 million-per-year, 10-year safety and maintenance levy failed to reach the 55% voter approval needed for the levy to pass Tuesday night.

Results from the Kootenai County Elections Office, with 100% of precincts reporting, showed 5,381 people — 50.27% — voted to approve the levy request while 5,323 — 49.73% — voted against it.

"Although we didn’t receive the outcome we were hoping for, we will continue the conversation with our community about the financial support needed to ensure our schools are safe and secure learning and teaching environments for our students and staff," said Coeur d'Alene Superintendent Shon Hocker.

"The need to improve school safety and address serious maintenance problems in our buildings remain a high priority for the Coeur d’Alene School District," he said. "We need to find a way to address these projects, and time is of the essence. This will only get more expensive the longer we wait."

The Plummer-Worley Joint School District had a win at the polls. Voters passed its $627,500-per-year, two-year supplemental levy request with 480 votes (58.68%) in favor and 338 (41.32%) against. The supplemental levy needed 50% voter approval to pass.

The funds will be used to help enhance safety and security measures and maintenance projects, as well as support athletics programming and staffing needs.

"It's going to be nice to put this behind us because we’ve been working on this for the last eight months, trying to educate folks," Plummer-Worley Superintendent Russ Mitchell said Tuesday night.

Plummer-Worley attempted a supplemental levy election earlier this year that failed after receiving only 46% voter approval.

"The community itself was more engaged this time," Mitchell said. "There was a lot of door-knocking that took place. There were caravans of teachers and students who went through the communities, honking and promoting this levy. Last time we seemed to be looking uphill all the time."

MORE FRONT-PAGE-SLIDER STORIES

Voters to consider school levies on Tuesday
Coeur d'Alene Press | Updated 10 years, 2 months ago
Kootenai, Plummer-Worley approve school levies
Coeur d'Alene Press | Updated 8 years, 2 months ago

ARTICLES BY DEVIN WEEKS

Geranium sale raises funds to help women reach academic goals
May 10, 2025 1:06 a.m.

Geranium sale raises funds to help women reach academic goals

Geranium sale raises funds to help women reach academic goals.

Petals of radiant red, popping pink, vivid violet and pleasant peach were seen in the early Friday morning sunlight on the lawn of a home near Fernan Lake. Members of the Chapter AG Philanthropic Educational Organization carried trays of flowers and carefully organized pots as they prepared for about 700 geranium plants to go out into the community following a successful annual sale.

Students sharpen timber skills at Idaho State Forestry Contest
May 9, 2025 1 a.m.

Students sharpen timber skills at Idaho State Forestry Contest

Students sharpen timber skills at Idaho State Forestry Contest

Cruising around a tall pine with a small measuring tape, Ava Stone examined the numbers and wrote them down on a paper secured to her clipboard. "It's the diameter, and then you take a clinometer from the 66 foot back and then the 100 foot back, then you look up and get the height to find out the board foot volume," she said Thursday morning.

Students sharpen timber skills at Idaho State Forestry Contest
May 9, 2025 1:08 a.m.

Students sharpen timber skills at Idaho State Forestry Contest

Students sharpen timber skills at Idaho State Forestry Contest

Cruising around a tall pine with a small measuring tape, Ava Stone examined the numbers and wrote them down on a paper secured to her clipboard. "It's the diameter, and then you take a clinometer from the 66 foot back and then the 100 foot back, then you look up and get the height to find out the board foot volume," she said Thursday morning.