Here’s how Lakeland School District business manager Tom Taggart responded to Jacob Minter’s request to remove KTEC link from Web site: “We appreciate your concern and would agree that the school district should not use resources to directly promote a position, one way or the other, concerning the KTEC levy. As in other school district levies we want to provide information, while stopping short of including a “vote yes” statement in any of our materials. I have followed the link you included in your email to the KTEC site and have read the portion that includes the “Vote yes” language.  While I think this is not a legal violation, I do think it goes beyond on usual practice during elections. We will be removing the link, but keeping the other informational materials posted.”

• Sid Armstrong’s response for Post Falls School District: “When the KTEC information was put on our site, the link was not there.  It was added sometime subsequent to the original information.  We agree with you and will have it removed immediately.”
• Jacob Minter’s Facebook page urging “no” vote on KTEC levies
  

Question: Why do you think the school districts complied so quickly to Jacob’s request?

Superintendent Hazel Bauman of Coeur d’Alene School District order a link to KTECHigh.org removed after she received this e-mail from patron Jacob Minter: “As you’re aware, the Coeur d’Alene School District’s main website contains a brochure about KTEC which provides a link to ktechigh.org as a source of ‘more information’ on the proposal.  Linking there is highly inappropriate on the District’s part given that this website is wildly biased in favor of KTEC and even contains an explicit plea to ‘[v]ote YES on the KTEC Levy, coming August 24th.’  The District’s responsibility should be to provide accurate, objective information to parents and voters so that they can make an informed decision at the ballot box. It should not be directing curious voters to sites biased one way or the other, especially sites explicitly instructing readers to ‘vote yes’ or ‘vote no.’”

Question: Did Hazel Bauman do the right thing by removing the link?

I have been involved in local government in Kootenai County for over 28 years and I can tell you that this is one of the most amazing examples of cooperation and team work I have ever seen. We have three school districts, North Idaho College, local businesses, landowners, and the City of Rathdrum all working together to make this a reality. There have been challenges and disagreements along the way, but they have all been overcome as time after time individuals put aside their differences and focused on what is best for our children/Tom Taggart, Lakeland School District finance officer, via Bay Views. More here.

Question: Have you changed your mind re: supporting or not supporting the proposed Kootenai Technical Education Campus?

The two-year, $2.78 million levy for Kellogg Joint School District 391 passed Tuesday. There were a total of 1,079 votes in favor the levy, passing it through by 61.27 percent. … More than 1,700 people turned out for the election between noon and 7 p.m. at the four open polling sites - Canyon Elementary, Pinehurst Elementary, Sunnyside Elementary and Smelterville City Hall - where all places posted votes to pass the levy/Sarah Rose Fredlund, Shoshone News-Press. More here.

The Lake Pend Oreille School District levy has passed with 59.5 percent of the vote. The $10.95 million supplemental levy received 3,965 yes votes to 2,699 no votes. The levy required a simple majority for approval, 50 percent plus one vote. The levy is divided in two parts, with $4.6 million to be collected in year one and $6,350,000 in year two/Marlisa Keyes, Bonner County Bee. More here.

Question: Lake Pend Oreille School District is known as one of the toughest places to pass school bonds and levies in North Idaho. Is this a promising sign in these tough economic times for other districts who want to pass supplemental levies?

Item: Cd’A levy could be $1M less: Superintendent asks trustees for lower amount at Monday meeting/Maureen Dolan, CDA Press

More Info: Superintendent Hazel Bauman recommended to trustees at a special board meeting Monday that the district set the levy amount at $7.8 million. Before making her recommendation, Bauman spent two weeks speaking with and polling nearly 300 people representing community groups — the chamber of commerce, the Rotary, the Parent-Teacher Association Alliance, Jobs Plus, the Excel Foundation and Concerned Businesses of North Idaho. Just 1 percent of those Bauman asked thought it would be a good idea to increase the levy amount while 68 percent were in favor of decreasing it, and 31 percent thought it should remain the same.

Question: Do you believe Superintendent Hazel Bauman’s inclusive approach to setting a levy amount guarantees its passage?