School District asks voters to approve operations levy

The Whitefish School District is asking voters approve a $230,000 mill levy to make up for budgetary shortfalls in the district.

If approved, the levy would increase annual taxes on a home with a value of $200,000 by about $12.18 per year.

Without the levy, the elementary district faces a $67,000 shortfall and the school district as a whole is expected to have a shortfall of $160,000. If that’s the case, District Business Director Danelle Reisch, said the district would need to cut items from the budget to make up the difference.

“We’ll just have to go back to that list and start knocking some of the items off,” she said.

For the elementary school, those considerations include $148,000 for additional staffing to meet accreditation requirements and $50,000 in teacher contingency to add a teacher.

“It seems like we often have an influx of students at one grade level or another, and in order to meet accreditation we need to add another teacher,” Reisch said.

The School Board on March 14 approved the levy request with Trustee Margeruite Kaminski voting in option.

During the meeting, the board took a look at its preliminary budget for the 2017-18 year. The total preliminary budget of $13.3 million is a slight increase from the previous year’s $12.7 million.

If the levy is approved, the district would have a projected budget excess of $71,922. The levy if approved is expected to put the elementary district in the black at $165,425. The high school district is looking at a budget shortfall of $95,000, according to the preliminary budget numbers.

For the high school, $30,000 for activities and athletics is included in the budget considerations, which Reisch said is trying to make up for recent shortfalls in funding.

“We had a discussion a few months ago about the shortfall we always have in those areas, so this is trying to make up for that shortfall,” she said.

About $36,000 is also set for another technician to help maintain the Performing Arts Center.

The projected budget also leaves nearly $116,000 worth of items still to be determined, with an increase in health insurance costs as the biggest unknown, according to Reisch.

Voters will consider the levy in the May 2 election.

The school board also approved a resolution of intent to impose an increase in a permissive levy if a current piece of legislation is passed in the Montana Legislature.

Senate Bill 307 would allow the district to permissively levy the building reserve fund, allowing about $260,000 to go to things like repairing the high school’s roof, resurfacing parking lots and upgrading heating controls, among other items.

So far the bill has received support in Helena, Superintendent Heather Davis Schmidt said.

The district is required to provide public notice of estimated increases for all tax levies by April 15.

“It’s not a huge impact on our taxpayers, but it does give us the opportunity to really provide relief for the maintenance of our facilities,” Reisch said.

The estimated increase for a home valued at $200,000 in the district would be $13.43 per year.

The board voted unanimously to approve the resolution, which will only take effect if the bill does pass.

Three school board trustee positions are also up for grabs in May’s election. Heather Vrentas and Shannon Hanson have both filed for re-election. Shawn Watts is also up for re-election.

Candidates have until March 23 to file.