PRIEST RIVER — Days ahead of the May 20 election, West Bonner County Superintendent Kim Spacek shared a public letter titled “Our Reality,” in which he described the consequences of a potential rejection of the district’s proposed levy: a reduction of up to 16 classified staff and “closure of two schools.” 

Spacek wrote in the May 16 letter that WBCSD administrators have spent time developing two plans for the weeks, months and years following May 20 — one that will be implemented if the two-year, $2.35 million-per-year maintenance and operation levy is approved, the other if it’s denied. 

Following the closure of Priest River Junior High School at the end of the 2023-2024 academic year, district staff and trustees have repeatedly said that WBCSD will likely have to close its outlying Idaho Hill and Priest Lake elementary schools if the district doesn’t receive additional funds through a levy. 

Voters struck down both levy proposals brought forth by the district in 2024, and financial strains have caused the district to begin scaling back its programs. 

In the letter, Spacek noted that the district has shrunk its pool of instructional staff to match the funding provided by the state of Idaho, which covers the wages of 51.98 full-time employees. 

“We believe enough instructional staff have been reduced through attrition to meet this level of funding,” Spacek said, later elaborating that the attrition had come through retirements and the anticipated departure of teachers hired after Aug. 1 who were not guaranteed a position for the upcoming year.

Spacek also noted that the district will receive state funding for 3.54 full-time administrators. The allocation mostly covers the salaries of the heads of WBCSD’s four schools; the difference comes out of the district’s discretionary fund. 

The main disparity between WBCSD’s workforce and the funding Idaho provides exists in the district’s classified staff — all employees other than certified teachers and administrators. 

Spacek wrote that Idaho funds the district for 17.72 full-time classified employees, but that WBCSD has about 33 on staff. Without a levy, he said, the district will have no way to pay about half of them. 

“The line item found on the ballot truly funds classified staff jobs to fill this gap,” Spacek wrote. 

WBCSD staff and trustees have said that regardless of the levy’s outcome, they will do what they can with the resources they have to provide opportunities to students — a point Spacek reiterated in the letter. 

“The Administrative Team and Trustees have worked together to sharpen and define the needs for district operations,” he wrote. “The community will decide how student needs will be met. Our reality will be put into action Wednesday, May 21!”