School funding, trustee seats on the line

Election season is already in bloom in the Flathead Valley, with a full slate of public school and special district elections appearing on ballots due Tuesday. While not as engrossing as the upcoming June federal primary, these local races wield just as much influence over taxes and daily life in the valley.

Voters in 11 school districts will decide how to fill key trustee seats on school boards ranging from Bigfork and Cayuse Prairie to Kalispell, Columbia Falls and Whitefish.

Vital school funding is also at stake.

At the top of the list, Kalispell Public Schools is seeking a $1.1 million general fund levy for the elementary district to help maintain staffing levels and day-to-day operations for six elementary schools and the middle school.

The last levy approved in the elementary district was a 10-year, $1.087 million technology levy that narrowly passed in 2024.

The current request should not be confused with the $2.9 million high school levy voters approved last year. Those funds support Glacier and Flathead high schools and the Ag Center — not elementary schools.

Worth noting, per-pupil state funding for elementary students is considerably lower than the funding provided for high school students. Kalispell Public Schools officials have warned that while district enrollment is declining, fixed costs remain unchanged.

“The levy really cannot be more important. If it doesn’t pass, well, we’re going to have to do a lot of work to figure out how to right-size the budget,” District Business and Finance Director Chris Campbell said at a March school board meeting.

If approved, homeowners would see an annual increase of about $9.37 per $100,000 of assessed market value — roughly $60 for a $600,000 home.

General fund levies are also on the ballot in the Flathead Valley’s rural districts.

Cayuse Prairie is proposing a $300,000 levy to help the growing school hire staff, retain positions and maintain programming. Fair-Mont-Egan voters will decide on a $250,000 technology levy and a $140,380 general fund levy. Deer Park, which amazingly has not imposed a levy this century, is seeking $110,000 to fund staff salaries, including needed raises for teachers.

In special district races, a competitive contest has emerged for two Whitefish Fire Service Area trustee seats amid a push to convert the 75-square-mile service area into a fire district. In Bigfork, three candidates are vying for two seats on the fire district board. Both elections could have big implications on the future of fire services in these areas, and how tax dollars are collected and allocated.

Mail ballots have already been delivered and the deadline is nearly here, so don’t let them sit on the counter another day. Study up — dailyinterlake.com/local-elections is a good place to start — and make sure the ballots are returned to a drop box no later than 8 p.m. on May 5. Don’t forget to mark your envelope with a signature and birth year, per new state law requirements.