CdA School Board to ask for lower levy rate

With taxpayers in mind, the Coeur d’Alene School Board on Monday decided to ask voters for a levy rate lower than in previous years.

A $40 million levy election is scheduled for March 14. Property owners will be asked to pay $1.63 per $1,000 of assessed value for four years, or $163 per year on a $100,000 home. The school district would use the money for four building projects and technology upgrades.

The measure would need 55 percent voter approval to pass.

The most recent building levies have requested $2 per $1,000 of assessed value, but board members unanimously agreed that the district should revise that amount because of the economy.

Trustee Christie Wood said that in her conversations, people have acknowledged the needs of their local schools – Winton Elementary School, for example, is not handicapped-accessible.

“But what I’m hearing is: Be as conservative as you can,” Wood said

Originally the district had proposed a $50 million package to include five projects. Now, four projects are likely to be completed:

• Replacing Lakes Middle School, $20 million.

• Replacing Winton Elementary School, $5 million.

• Building a new elementary school, $7 million.

• Modernizing Borah Elementary School, $4.5 million.

A technology component totaling $3 to $3.5 million is also included in the levy.

Canfield Middle School’s remodeling, estimated at $10 million, will likely be postponed until the next levy, though the long-range planning committee has asked the school board for flexibility in the ordering of these projects.

Jill Neal, chairwoman of the long-range planning committee, declined to comment on the projects Monday. But at the board’s Dec. 5 meeting, she told trustees that it was difficult to order the projects because they each have serious problems.

“These are bare-bones schools with needs,” Neal said.

Steve Briggs, the district’s business manager, said Monday that all the buildings need modernizing – some to a greater extent than others, which is why Lakes and Winton need replacing – to become more energy efficient, handicapped accessible and better wired to accommodate computers in classrooms.

The $40 million estimate takes into account a 5 percent increase in construction costs per year, as well as at least $2 million left over from the current buildings levy.

The amount is also based on a projected 7.5 percent increase in assessed value, which would decrease the levy rate over the years. For example, the current levy rate began at about $2 per $1,000 but is now in its fourth year at $1.29.