Lakeland Will Seek $9.9 Million New School Among Projects That Levies Would Pay For

For less than $10 million, officials in Lakeland School District are planning to build another junior high school, make improvements to nearly all other schools in the district, start a hot lunch program and purchase more property.

All that can be accomplished without raising the district’s bond levy rate, officials said Monday.

But the construction is contingent on voter approval of a $9.3 million bond levy in March. To launch the districtwide hot lunch program, voters will need to approve a separate $650,000 bond levy.

Both levies need a two-thirds “super-majority” vote to pass. The election is scheduled for March 19.

The proposed junior high is estimated to cost $5.9 million. Additional classrooms and improvements to the senior high school and the elementary schools are slated at $1.6 million. The proposed bond also includes $200,000 for land purchases.

The Lakeland school board formally approved the total $9.95 million bond levy election at its Monday meeting.

Because area property values have been steadily increasing, the district’s financial consultant estimated the current bond levy rate of $2.19 per $1,000 of assessed property value may actually drop closer to $2 per $1,000.

Bud Way of First Security Bank called the district’s average annual 12 percent to 13 percent increase in property value “phenomenal.”

Because of the new growth, “existing property owners won’t feel the pinch as much,” Way said.

That doesn’t mean that property taxes will remain the same. Taxes will increase as a property owners’ land increases in value.

In Post Falls, the school board also formally approved a March 26 bond election to build a new high school. Voters will have the option of one $15.8 million bond levy for the high school or an additional $1.94 million levy for a stadium, auditorium and track.

The board also approved the purchase of more portable classrooms to handle growth until a new school can be built.

, DataTimes