The Coeur d’Alene School Board on Monday voted to finalize ballot language necessary in its pursuit of two levy elections in March — a five-year, $5-million-per-year school plant facilities levy and a $25 million-per-year maintenance and operations levy that will be held in perpetuity.

The board unanimously approved the ballot language for the school plant facilities levy.

Board Chair Rebecca Smith, who attended the meeting remotely, was joined by Vice Chair Casey Morrisroe and Trustee Heather Tenbrink in voting in favor of resolution language for the perpetual maintenance and operations levy. Trustees Allie Anderton and Lesli Bjerke voted against the motion.

Bjerke and Anderton expressed concerns about the amount of funds being allocated for communications about the levies.The communications cost estimate from Range NW, Inc. for campaign materials, media, print and accompanying creative and administration fees is $75,000.

“It seems rather high for me,” Bjerke said, asking if the district has sought competitive bids.

Superintendent Shon Hocker explained that it is about double the amount of the 2020 levy election campaign because it encompasses two levy questions.

He said additional bids were not sought because this is considered professional services, which are not required to go out to bid.

“This proposal is up to the dollar amount, the $75,000,” he explained. “Certainly, if we can spend less, we will.”

He said it’s expensive to educate the community about a levy election.

“That is another reason why I believe it’s imperative that we don’t spend this money for ongoing levies,” Hocker said. “The perpetuity question will eliminate that so we don’t have to do that every other year.”

The board ultimately pared the $75,000 to $60,000, motioned by Tenbrink and seconded by Smith and voted against by Bjerke and Anderton.

The Coeur d’Alene School District’s current $20 million-per-year supplemental levy is at a rate of $0.76 per $1,000 assessed taxable value, or $76.17 per $100,000 assessed taxable value. A $25 million would increase the levy rate by $.19 per $1,000 or $19.04 per $100,000, to a new supplemental levy rate of $.95 or $95.21 per $100,000.

A $5 million school plant facilities levy, if approved, would cost the taxpayer $.19 per $1,000 assessed taxable value, or 19.04 per $100,000.

“The combined effect of both ballot initiatives would be an increase of $0.38 per $1,000 or $38.09 per $100,000,” Coeur d’Alene School District Director of Finance Shannon Johnston said. “For a home assessed at $550,000, factoring in the $125,000 homeowners exemption, that would be an annual increase of $161.88 or $13.49 per month for the school portion of their tax bill.

Funds from the school plant facilities levy will pay for care and repair of facilities and security items across the district. Coeur d'Alene's current $25 million backlog of deferred maintenance needs is projected to exceed $100 million in 10 years. The $25 million-per-year perpetual levy, if approved, would replace the current $20 million-per-year levy.

Johnston told The Press the supplemental levy is so ingrained in the district’s ability to function that its loss would be devastating.

“Schools are a people-based industry, so employee salaries and benefits make up 85% of our general fund, budgeted at $71 million for 2022-23,” she said. “The levy funds our staff and programs that make school safe, like having school resource officers, campus safety officers, playground aides, crossing guards, nurses and high quality teachers, aides and programs that have a lasting impact on our children's lives, like athletics, arts, music and electives.”

In other news, the Coeur d’Alene School District is re-evaluating all school-related activities at Skate Plaza in response to concerns raised by parents on both sides of the issue regarding the venue’s relatively new practice of playing Christian music while the children are skating.

Some in the community claim the district is boycotting the venue, which district officials say is false.

“At this point in time, we have asked our schools to temporarily suspend involvement in Skate Plaza excursions while we review district practices and existing policies and procedures,” Hocker said in a statement shared with those contacting the board regarding this issue.

“It is important to note that the district does not use Skate Plaza for any district-sanctioned field trips during regular school hours,” he said. “The vast majority of usage relates to individual parent-teacher organization groups' use of this venue for their fundraising efforts. These groups plan their own fundraising activities, subject to final review by the district. The remaining usage is through School Plus. School Plus is also a distinct entity from the district but operates closely with the district to ensure after-school services are available to children of the district. School Plus does offer optional Skate Plaza field trips during holidays and outside of school hours. These activities have been suspended while we evaluate.”