We dropped two large pieces of data this week: breaking down Idaho’s rising supplemental property tax levy bill and Idaho’s increasing student enrollment.
So, let’s mash up these data sets a bit.
This first table looks at the 10 largest supplemental levies in Idaho, and where those districts rank in enrollment:
District | Supplemental levy | Enrollment rank |
1. Coeur d’Alene | $20,000,000 | 6 |
2. Lewiston | $15,680,295 | 17 |
3. West Ada | $14,000,000 | 1 |
4. Lake Pend Oreille | $12,700,000 | 23 |
5. Moscow | $11,374,550 | 29 |
6. Boise | $10,708,000 | 2 |
7. Nampa | $9,375,000 | 3 |
8. Pocatello-Chubbuck | $9,244,455 | 5 |
9. Lakeland | $8,990,534 | 18 |
10. Idaho Falls | $6,800,000 | 7 |
As these numbers show, there is little connection between local levies and enrollment. There are plenty of other variables that affect the size of a supplemental levy — including a district’s overall property value and, of course, a community’s willingness to pay.
But a supplemental levy is worth a lot more to some districts than it is to others. So let’s look at our top 10, and levy dollars per student:
District | 2019-2020 enrollment | Levy per student |
1. Coeur d’Alene | 11,026 | $1,814 |
2. Lewiston | 4,724 | $3,319 |
3. West Ada | 40,291 | $347 |
4. Lake Pend Oreille | 3,683 | $3,448 |
5. Moscow | 2,286 | $4,976 |
6. Boise | 25,352 | $422 |
7. Nampa | 13,912 | $674 |
8. Pocatello-Chubbuck | 12,470 | $741 |
9. Lakeland | 4,554 | $1,974 |
10. Idaho Falls | 10,250 | $663 |
As I wrote about the new supplemental levy numbers this week — and sought reactions from state leaders — equity was a constant refrain and a recurring concern.
In that context, consider this: Moscow’s supplemental levy is worth 14 times more per student than West Ada’s levy. That’s not a misprint.
A couple of footnotes:
- If you’re wondering about the four other districts that rank in the top 10 in enrollment, three collect a supplemental levy: Bonneville ($5.8 million); Twin Falls ($5 million) and Vallivue ($4.5 million). Jefferson County does not collect a supplemental levy.
- The future of Nampa’s supplemental levy is very much in doubt. By a scant, 11-vote margin, patrons rejected a two-year, $24.15 million proposal Tuesday. District officials are pondering their next move.