CdA school board approves emergency levy

The Coeur d’Alene school board has approved a one-time emergency levy of $1.2 million to support a spike in student enrollment.

The district has 10,578 students, 261 more than a year ago, according to average daily attendance of the first three days of school.

The board voted 4-0 to approve the levy in a special meeting Friday. The levy dollars will be used to hire more teachers and assistants, buy curriculum materials, add technology, buy furniture and possibly operate more bus routes.

“We’ll be able to hang tight this year and can manage the overcrowding because of the six additional classrooms we brought online this year with the construction of our larger Winton Elementary School,” Superintendent Matt Handelman said. “We’ve already begun strategizing for how we will manage the continued growth we are expecting over the next several years.”

State law allows the district to levy the funds without voter approval. The levy rate may be 14.84 cents per $1,000 of taxable property.