West Ada Joint School District Supplemental Levy – $14,000,000

WEST ADA JOINT SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 2 SUPPLEMENTAL LEVY (For July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2024):

Shall the Board of Trustees of Joint School District No. 2, Ada and Canyon Counties, State of Idaho, be authorized and empowered to levy a Supplemental Levy in the amount of fourteen million and no/ dollars ($14,000,000) per year for two (2) years, commencing with the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2022 and ending June 30, 2024, for the purpose of financing any lawful expenses of maintaining and operating the District; all as provided in the Resolution adopted by the Board of Trustees on September 8th, 2021?

The estimated average annual cost to the taxpayer on the proposed levy is a tax of $46.92 per $100,000 of taxable assessed value, per year, based on current conditions. The proposed levy replaces an existing levy that will expire on June 30, 2022 and that currently costs $46.92 per $100,000 of taxable assessed value. If the proposed levy is approved, the tax per $100,000 of taxable assessed value is not expected to change. IN FAVOR OF authorizing a supplemental levy in the amount of $14,000,000 per year for two (2) years AGAINST authorizing a supplemental levy in the amount of $14,000,000 per year for two (2) years.

Commentary from the West Ada School District Supplemental Levy from 2020:  https://www.westada.org/Page/71168

Since the proposed 2-Year Levy – $14,000,000 per year, for two years, is similar to the one proposed in 2020, 2018, 2015, 2014 and 2012, we assume the explanation from the 2020’s Supplemental Levy is relevant:

“The West Ada School District is proposing renewing its existing supplemental levy at the current amount, which is $14 million per year for each of the next two years. The funding from the supplemental levy is used for the school district’s general operations. In the West Ada School District, like most school districts, the majority of funding from both the state and from voter-approved supplemental levies goes to the cost of staff salaries and benefits. This reason for this is school districts are a service industry, which delivers educational services to students by staff that largely work in school sites.

In West Ada, about 85 percent of the school district’s cost are staff salary and benefits. The supplemental levy is 5 percent of the general funding of the West Ada School District. The revenue provided through the current supplemental goes to fund the operational costs that support the district’s current programs, school days, and teacher to student ratios. If the community votes to renew the supplemental levy for two more years, the revenue from the supplemental levy will fund the current levels of operation. If the community votes to not renew the current supplemental levy, West Ada will make adjustments in its budget to account for the reduced funding.”

“A supplemental levy is a levy allowed under Idaho Code that permits school districts to ask voters to provide additional funding for any school district operational cost. The revenue can be used for any expenditure that is allowable under Idaho Code. Currently, most school districts in Idaho use supplemental levy revenue for operational costs like salaries and benefits.”

Voting History on The West Ada School Distrcit Supplemental Levy – 1985 to 2020

Here is a history of the votes on the West Ada School District No. 2 Supplemental Levy.  The 2020 Supplemental Levy was rejected by voters on June 2, 2020 only to be approved by voters in another vote on August 25, 2020.

“Date, Amount Requested and Percentage of Votes in Favor (Supplemental levies require a 50 percent plus one vote to be approved):

05/25/1985 – $771,000 – 56.9%

02/26/1985 – $850,000 – 59%

03/04/1986 – $892,500 – 51.44%

06/02/1987 – $892,500 – 48%

05/17/1988 – $401,377 – 54.71%

05/17/2005 – $5,000,000 – 80.56%

05/15/2007 – $10,000,000 – 61.56%

03/03/2009 – $10,000,000 – 73.87%

05/17/2011 – $18,500,000 – 43.3%

03/13/2012 – $14,000,000 – 53.69%

03/11/2014 – $14,000,000 – 60.15%

11/03/2015 – $14,000,000 – 59.33%

03/13/2018 – $14,000,000 – 68.8%

06/02/2020 – $14,000,000 – 46.3%

8/25/2020 – $14,000,000 – 52.7%”