Lakeland Trustees voted 3-2 to run a $7.52 million levy in May, which if passed would still result in about $2 million less from the previous year’s budget.
The decision to re-run the levy comes after months of meetings to discuss how trustees would cut nearly 25% of the district’s budget after a $9.5 million, two-year levy failed in November.
Board Chair Michelle Thompson and Vice Chair Ramona Grissom opposed re-running the levy at the figure proposed by Trustee Randi Bain and recommended by the superintendent.
Bain had to make her motion to approve the levy amount twice after an initial 2-2 vote, with trustee David Quimby joining Bain in support. Only after a handful of outbursts by the crowd gathered in the Timberlake High School cafeteria, Trustee Bob Jones, 81, who has missed several meetings after a medical event, was texted to cast the decisive vote.
The cuts and proposed levy
Even if the levy passes in May, the district will still see a lost of at least 25 staff members. Arnold’s proposed $2 million in cuts include cutting one custodian from each school building, a behavior intervention coach, six paraprofessionals, a principal assistant and a district office staff member.
Teachers will lose stipends for extra days worked and mentoring new teachers. Staff members will also lose cell phone stipends. The printing budget will drop 20% along with the business operation budget.
If the levy does not pass, the district will be unable to fund all sports and extracurriculars. District leaders estimated that without nearly $2 million in levy funds, families would have to pay about $1,600 for their students to play sports.
The proposed levy would pay for 25 teachers at just under $2 million. Those teachers support Lakeland’s classroom size targets.
The rest of the levy would fund:
- Safety Personnel (School Resource Officers): $827,789
- Elementary Music, Physical Education and Science teachers: $613,730
- Advanced Learning Program (6 employees): $546,797
- Transportation: $500,000
- Library Leads: $434,106
- Maintaining access to the Kootenai Technical Education Campus: $348,000
- Nurses (2): $172,150
- Counselors (2): $134,091
- Alternative Middle School program: $80,230
Trustees made it clear during the planning process that anything placed on the new levy is exactly what would be cut from the district if the levy failed. They requested more detailed ballot language in hopes of making the reality clear to patrons.
Previous Coverage:
Lakeland leaders scramble for a plan after second levy failure in as many years
Lakeland community continues to be at odds over failed levy repercussions
Levy failures in Lakeland and Coeur d’Alene pushed their CFOs into the limelight
Trustees at odds
Last week, it appeared that the voting blocks on the board of trustees had solidified when Quimby, the tie breaking vote, sided with Thompson and Grissom to elect the pair as chair and vice chair. Jones had nominated Bain for both positions.
On Wednesday, Thompson and Grissom took the lead as they questioned Arnold over her proposal to re-run the levy at $7.52 million a year for two-years, a number first thrown out by Bain at a prior board meeting.
Thompson pushed for additional cuts to district office staff. Arnold had already proposed cutting one position from the district office staff of 11.
“That has been a cry that the district office reduction is minimal compared to what we’re asking each building to endure,” Thompson said. “I just respectfully ask that we acknowledge that in a tangible way.”
Arnold said she didn’t know where cuts were possible. The 11 positions include the superintendent, assistant superintendent, CFO, and head of human resources.
“Well, I think you’re going to need to review that?” Thompson responded, drawing laughs from the crowd of attendees.
One audience member shouted back “What’s your suggestion?”
“If you guys are going to shout out at us I’m going to have to ask you guys to leave,” Thompson said to the crowd. “Again we’re not having a conversation.”
About an hour into the meeting, Bain made a motion to approve the superintendent’s $7.52 million levy recommendation and recommended $2 million in cuts, with the change of maintaining the district’s garbage services and two school counselors and having each high school cut about $87,000 from their building staff to make up the difference.
Quimby seconded her motion and the pair voted in favor with Grissom and Thompson opposed.
Following the failure, Grissom made her first proposal of an alternative, an approximately $3 million levy that would pay for sports and extracurriculars, school resource officers, nurses, and the district’s portion of the Kootenai Technical Education Campus (KTEC).
As she talked through her proposal, attendees began shouting out questions about Jones and when he could return to cast his vote.
Thompson gaveled a few times trying to calm the crowd as Grissom returned to her spreadsheet showing what the state funds. She frequently referred to the spreadsheet throughout the meeting, suggesting that the district shouldn’t levy for additional dollars for partially state funded programs and instead make do with the amount from the state.
Then the superintendent’s phone rang, it was Jones, ready to vote.
Bain again motioned to approve the levy proposal. It passed in a 3-2 vote, followed by cheers and a round of applause.
