Voters reject Kalispell levies, Whitefish bond
Students use AutoCAD, a 2D and 3D computer-aided design program, during Ryan Boyle's Career Technical Education class at Whitefish High School on Wednesday, Sept. 13. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Voters rejected four Kalispell Public Schools technology and safety levy requests in a mail-ballot election that ended Tuesday night.
About 44,288 ballots went out to voters and 14,573 ballots were cast.
According to preliminary results, which were tallied around 10:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Kalispell voters rejected a $1.5 million elementary safety levy, 3,851 to 2,839. Voters also turned down a $1.5 million technology levy by a 3,864 to 2,749 vote.
If either elementary levy had passed, owners of homes with assessed market values of $300,000 could have expected an annual tax increase of $63.18 for each levy.
In the high school district, which includes Kalispell voters and 13 outlying partner school districts, safety and technology levies also failed to pass.
A $1.6 million high school safety levy failed by a 9,186 to 5,174 vote, according to preliminary results. A $1 million high school technology levy was shot down by 9,152 to 4,937 votes.
If the high school safety levy had passed, owners of a $300,00 home could have expected an $27.54 annual tax increase, and a $17.21 increase, if the technology levy was approved.
The duration of all the levies was 10 years.
“We are naturally disappointed that the passage of our levies fell short as it would have been pivotal in providing very needed safety and technology resources in serving our students and staff,” District Interim Superintendent Randy Cline said. “We truly believe our students are worthy of a supportive community.”
The safety levies would have addressed building deficiencies or vulnerabilities identified in a safety audit conducted last year. Funding was also slated to go toward paying positions that support student safety, mental health and well-being, including school resource officers; a health wellness, and suicide prevention specialist position and counselors, rather than pulling from the general fund.
“The elephant in the room is the security audit. There are things in there that need to be addressed. With the safety levy not passing, we have to look at what we can do with the available funds we have,” Cline said.
Money generated by the technology levies would have been limited to technology-related expenses such as maintaining equipment, networks, program/app subscription fees and paying for staff salaries and training.
Cline said the failure of the elementary technology levy is a big concern because it was meant to replace one that generated roughly $1 million annually for K-8 schools and sunsets in June. Cline said while some cuts are probable, cutting all $1 million is “not probably going to happen.”
“It’s probably going to be absorbed by the general fund, which will impact other programs and personnel that are currently in the general fund,” Cline said.
In regard to the high school district’s budget, Cline anticipates a budget shortfall. A levy of any type hasn’t passed in the high school district since 2007.
The district has until August to adopt the 2024-25 budget.
“It’s a process we’ll go through that will take several months. We’ll determine, if there’s a shortfall, what can we cut and what can possibly be moved around,” Cline said.
“We have always believed that strong schools are a byproduct of a strong community,” he said. “Everyone benefits when our schools are able to provide our students with the best possible educational experience. On behalf of [Kalispell Public Schools], I want to genuinely thank those that voted in support of our schools.”
WHITEFISH VOTERS turned down a $33.7 million bond issue put forward by the Whitefish School District that would have funded an expansion of the high school and its athletic facilities.According to preliminary results, the measure failed 2,313 to 2,161 in the mail-ballot election that concluded Tuesday night.About $22.1 million of the bond would have gone toward adding classrooms, shops and labs to the high school. The remaining $11.6 million would have funded construction of an athletic complex for the high school.Had the 20-year bond been approved, the owner of a home with an assessed market value of $600,000 could have anticipated an annual tax increase of $146.59.The district mailed out 12,230 ballots to active, registered voters.“A vote with this close of a margin suggests there is both support for the concepts and designs to address our enrollment growth, as well as a strong need to gather additional information and feedback to guide future steps in the process,” Whitefish Superintendent Dave Means said in an email sent out to staff and families. “We look forward to continued conversations with our stakeholders as part of a process to support our growing and thriving schools and community.”Means opened the email by thanking voters and members of a high school expansion committee and a district-wide enrollment and facilities committee, in addition to “those who worked tirelessly to gather input from the community.”“That input led to the development of the concepts that would help address our growing enrollment, career and technical, academic, and activity needs for the future,” he said.
Reporter Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or hmatheson@dailyinterlake.com.