KELLOGG — The Kellogg School District held a public workshop Wednesday night to discuss the district’s financial outlook and potential changes if officials are unable to close a growing budget shortfall. 

The meeting followed the failure of the district’s two-year, $7 million replacement supplemental levy in November, when 54% of voters opposed the measure. 

District leaders opened the workshop to public questions, with much of the discussion focused on whether the levy will be back on the ballot and which programs and positions face possible cuts if it is not renewed or fails a second time. 

Many potentially affected employees have been made aware that their positions may not be available next school year.

“We have been meeting as an administrative staff since this happened (the levy failure) and we’re coming with some ideas on how to cut $3.5 million from our budget,” Pearson said. “These are all bad ideas. These are the best of the bad ideas that we’ve come up with. Nobody in here wants to make these cuts. Right now, because the levy didn’t pass, we don’t have a choice.” 

Programs facing possible cuts include extracurricular activities and sports, technology, full-day kindergarten, transportation, custodial services, instructional materials and classroom supplies, support staff, including paraprofessionals, the district nurse and bus aides and utilities. Additional programs and positions that could be affected include elementary physical education and music, the high school JROTC program and a variety of advanced and elective courses. 

Full-day kindergarten drew particular concern during the discussion. Finance Manager Danielle Estill and Transportation Manager Michelle Tryon said that if the district must return to the state-approved half-day model, Kellogg would not be able to fund midday transportation. That would require working parents to pick up students and arrange childcare for the remainder of the day. 

School Board Chair Alexa Griffin said the decision on whether to re-run the levy in May will be made at the March board meeting. 

“None of this is a fun conversation,” Griffin said. “This is not the place any of us wanted to be."

Funding for public schools in Idaho is based on average daily attendance, converted into “instructional units” derived from the number of teachers and staff a district needs. Each instructional unit is funded at a set amount determined by the Legislature. 

Kellogg is funded for 59.5 instructional units but currently employs 71. 

State and federal funds account for an average of 79% of district budgets, with the remaining 21% from local levies. Kellogg relies on voter-approved local funding for roughly 30% of its annual budget. 

That 30% funds many non-mandated programs and positions, which together represent between 50 and 70 employees, including 12 certified teachers, according to Superintendent Lance Pearson.