Cayuse Prairie School is seeking community input as it explores running a general fund levy in May. 

A community meeting and discussion is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 18 at the school located at 897 Lake Blaine Road. 

Cayuse Prairie School Board Chair Tyler Hash said the body is looking for input from a diverse range of community members, hoping to reach people who may not have regular, or direct interactions with the school or board. 

“My role as a board trustee is to be a conduit for the whole community," Hash said. “The community is an essential part of rural schools.” 

The discussion will start with a short presentation by Cayuse Prairie Principal and Superintendent Amy Piazzola on current and future funding needs and what may be at stake next school year. 

“We want to get a feel from people what their funding priorities are," Hash said, in addition to what amount taxpayers would support. 

“Do we want to ask for a small levy for some stability next year and return with another request as needed, or do we want something larger for long-term stability? There are a couple of routes to take, for sure,” he said.  

A general fund levy covers a broad range of operational and instructional costs. Some examples include utilities, facility maintenance, salaries and curriculum/supply purchases.  

“We would love to decrease class sizes. Two classes particularly, our fifth-grade classroom, we would love to split that into two. We’re not able to do that right now. Kindergarten is in a similar situation. Also, a number of fees have been passed on to families," he said, such as technology and sports fees. 

“We’d like to give fair raises to our staff as well. We’re losing teachers to [Kalispell] School District 5. Anytime we’re hiring new teachers, we have trouble competing. Part of it is future sustainability with cost-of-living increases to keep up with inflation and the cost of health insurance. We haven’t been able to do that,” he said. 

He offered as an example one prospective teacher who turned down the job because of the cost of living in the Flathead Valley.  

A levy hasn’t passed in decades. Cayuse Prairie held a general fund levy election in May 2023 for $300,000, which failed in a 588-210 vote. 

“We’ve been making cuts over the past two decades from the general fund while we’ve had an over 50% increase in students,” Hash said. 

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