Board OKs $3.3 million bond vote

Roughly 13,000 ballots were printed Wednesday and Kalispell voters now have to consider whether to support a $3.35 million elementary district bond request.

Kalispell Public Schools elementary trustees revisited the bond issue at a board meeting Tuesday to decide whether or not to reduce the bond request.

But by a 5-2 vote, trustees decided to leave the bond request at $3.35 million.

They had considered reducing the request to $2.9 million using $400,000 left over in the budget plus and $200,000 from the district food service program.

In a 5-2 vote with trustees Dave Schultz and Frank Miller voting in favor of a reduction, the bond request will remain at $3.35 million.

Ballots will be mailed Aug. 29 and the election concludes Sept. 18.

The money, if approved, would go toward building a new central kitchen at Kalispell Middle School to replace the current aging facility located at Flathead High School.

It also would pay to build four classrooms and a multipurpose room at Peterson Elementary and four classrooms at Edgerton Elementary.

That construction would be aimed at alleviating elementary overcrowding.

If the $3.35 million bond request is approved, current estimates show that owners of a home valued at $100,000 would see an annual tax increase of $9.48, or $18.95 for a home valued at $200,000.

A $2.9 million bond would have reduced the annual taxpayer impact to $7.94 for a $100,000 home, and $15.88 for a $200,000 home.  

Even if the $3.35 million bond request is approved, the district could still reduce taxpayer impact, which is why most trustees voted to keep the original amount and be on the safe side if construction costs are high.

If project costs are lower than expected, unused money would go into a debt service account and offset next year’s debt service levies.

Superintendent Darlene Schottle said the board also has the option to resize the bonds before they are issued based on final construction bids.

People will have a chance to discuss the upcoming bond election and view proposed architectural plans at a public comment session from 5:30 to 6:15 p.m. today at Edgerton Elementary School.

Architect Tom Heinecke of Morrison and Maierle will be available to answer questions.

Elementary school district trustees also voted against selling property at 33 Meridian Court, in a 5-2 vote with elementary trustees Schultz and Mary Ruby in favor of selling.

“It was a bad decision. Let’s liquidate it and use the funds somewhere else,” Schultz said. “Let’s move on.”

The property was purchased in 2010 for $345,000 with the intent to remodel a warehouse located on it as the central kitchen.

When costs were higher than anticipated, the district proposed selling the building at $250,000 at a $95,000 loss — or hold onto it until real estate prices changed.

“We haven’t suffered a loss until we sell it at a loss,” trustee Frank Miller said.

Schottle said the building could be used as storage for maintenance equipment in the meantime.

Trustees on Tuesday also approved the district’s final $23,313,180 elementary budget and $26,179,885 high school budget.

Reporter Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or by email at hmatheson@dailyinterlake.com