School Levy Will Be First For District Residents Voted Last Year To Go Their Own Way, And Levy Proponents Say It’S Time To Follow Up

Betty Gardner is getting a screaming deal for $299.56 a year.

For that amount of property tax, the state is educating her two children, footing $8,957 of their annual public education bill.

This Priest River mom and vice president of the high school Parent, Teacher and Student Association is willing to pay more.

She is lobbying other West Bonner County School District residents to support a tax increase Aug. 29.

After all, the district is new. Residents voted to break off from the Bonner County School District last year. Thirteen months later, it’s time for them to put their money where their mouths are, Gardner said Tuesday.

“I’m hoping people realize they voted for a change and now they have to back that up with some action,” Gardner said.

Many people agree the creation of the new district went smoothly. Locals now have more control over the district, not having to travel 30 miles to Sandpoint for meetings.

For years, west Bonner County residents complained of inequities - everything from fewer band programs to not enough representation on the school board.

With this new freedom comes the responsibility of paying to make the district a success, Superintendent Joe Malletta said.

Although the new district is running in the black - much to the surprise of some critics - it needs $724,000 in supplemental cash during the next two years to pay for new computers, an alternative high school and buses.

“The school district can’t do it on what the state gives them anymore,” said Candy Lund, a teacher and West Bonner County Education Association president. “The community has to make it a success and get behind us. We have to do it for ourselves.”

Aug. 29 is the first time voters in the newly formed district will go to the polls with a levy election.

For taxpayers owning a $100,000 home, their tax bill would increase by $47.08 a year, Malletta said.

If the levy passes, the district has these plans for the cash each year:

$40,000 per year would go toward testing;

$42,000 would pay the salary and benefits of a technology coordinator for the schools;

$50,000 would be dedicated to new computer purchases for labs in all five schools;

$20,000 per year would be set aside for staff training;

$10,000 would be used for summer work on curriculum;

$35,000 would be spent each year for textbooks;

$25,000 would be dedicated to the start-up of the new alternative school;

$40,000 per year would help pay for new buses;

$100,000 would go toward facility improvements and down payments on new property for central school district facilities.

Gardner said many people she’s spoken with don’t realize they pay so little for public education.

“Everyone just assumes they are paying lots and lots of taxes and aren’t getting what they paid for,” Gardner said. “I’m getting a terrific bargain.”

As for the district split, Gardner thinks so far it is a great success. She said many district employees, from teachers to administrators, put in extra, unpaid hours to get the new system running.

She points to Idaho Hill Elementary principal Gary Go, who also ran the bus shop, and Priest River Elementary principal Tony Feldhausen, who served on “almost every committee.”

She doesn’t know anyone who thinks the district split was a mistake.

“But I haven’t heard a lot of people jumping up and down either,” Gardner said. “People are saying it wasn’t a bad idea after all.”

Malletta said he and the school board think they’ve made great progress.

“The board feels really good about what’s been accomplished,” he said.

Because teachers and schools already were in place, the new district concentrated on transportation, food services and support services. Now that these things are in order, Malletta said the district will focus on improving academics, especially because its state math and writing test scores are below average.

Lake Pend Oreille School District, the former partner, also survived the split.

“We’ve had no problems with the transition,” Superintendent Roy Rummler said. “It seemed to work out for us.”

Rummler, who is a former Priest River Lamanna High principal, said he never experienced the dissension the west side of the county once felt. But he understands why locals would want more control over their schools.

The split has lessened Lake Pend Oreille School District’s burden. One good example is making decisions on calling snow days, Rummler said.

“I believe the people here overall are probably positive about the split.”

This sidebar appeared with the story: MEETING

The West Bonner County School District will hold an informational meeting on the levy election at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 16 at the Priest River Junior High auditorium.