Payette Superintendent Glen Croft knew voters in his district might not go for an increased plant-facility levy, but he thought they would support raises for paraprofessionals and other staff members who make less than burger flippers at local fast food joints.
Instead, voters rejected both the plant-facility and supplemental levy proposals.
“The community is very tax sensitive,” Croft said, noting that Payette County has one of the lowest property tax rates in Idaho.
Statewide ballot measures to fund new school buildings and facility maintenance were largely rejected Tuesday. Just one plant-facility proposal passed, and while voters approved most supplemental levies, Payette’s was among the four that failed.
That put Payette in an exclusive club of double-failed ballot measures along with the Kimberly district, which also failed to pass a bond and plant-facility levy Tuesday.
Croft hoped to avoid levy fatigue, and clarify that the measures fund two different things, by placing both on one ballot.
“We tried this approach and obviously it failed,” Croft said.
Kimberly Superintendent Luke Schroeder sees an issues that’s spreading statewide.
Payette voters reject school measures
Payette’s plant-facility levy, used for building maintenance and upgrades, expires in June of 2027. The prior levy, at $495,000 per year, doesn’t have the same buying power as it did when it passed in 2017, Croft said.
The district solicited bids for a new high school roof around 2022 and quotes were nearly half a million dollars. When the district hired an architect to finalize the plans three years later, the cost ballooned to $1.2 million.
But Croft knew a proposed jump to $1.95 million per year would be a tough sell to voters. Ultimately, just 36% of voters supported the levy.
“You’re rolling the dice a little bit when it comes to trying to get it in a rural conservative community, trying to get 55% of people is a tough sell,” Croft said of the measure’s required threshold to pass in Idaho.
He thought voters would support a supplemental levy to provide raises for classified staff, which would help keep those positions filled.
“We’re below the burger joints and those types of things,” Croft said, referencing classified staff pay levels.
In the end, 46% of voters supported the proposal.
The $1 million, two-year levy would have provided $200,000 in raises to classified staff, along with another $150,000 for special education expenses and curriculum.
Many of those classified staff members work with special education students. It’s increasingly difficult to fill these special education positions, said Croft, adding that students with behavioral needs are one of the fastest-growing groups in special education.
Croft said students with traumatic backgrounds often disrupt other students’ learning. He hoped to create behavioral programs to combat the issue through levy funds.
“Our challenges are rising, and funding is going backward,” Croft said. “And so it’s kind of a perfect storm.”
State funds remained flat for Idaho school districts this year, creating challenges, especially for rural districts like Payette facing rising costs.
He said there has been a mindset shift in his community, and regionally, that suggests people don’t want to increase taxes, no matter how it impacts services.
“There’s a concept now that any tax dollar is a bad tax dollar,” Croft said. “Lower taxes are preferred above everything and, you know, what are the consequences of that?”
Kimberly bond, levy fail decisively
In Kimberly, a $57.8 million bond to pay for a new fine arts center, gym and community field house failed resoundingly, with 86% of voters opposed.
In a statement, Superintendent Luke Schroeder thanked voters for participating.
“The Kimberly School District remains committed to providing safe, effective, and high-quality learning environments for our students and staff,” the statement reads. “We appreciate the strong voter participation and the many community members who took part in the election process.”
The district’s plant-facility levy, which was a $16 increase per $100,000 of taxable assessed value from the expiring levy, also failed, with 65% of voters opposed.
Schroeder said the district will use $100,000 in contingency funds, along with interest from state-funded school modernization dollars, to pay maintenance staff and address unexpected problems. The district will also put planned projects like carpet replacement on hold.
“In the coming weeks, the district and Board of Trustees will review the election results and determine next steps regarding the district’s facility and operational needs,” the district’s statement reads. “Our focus remains on serving students responsibly and maintaining transparency with our community moving forward.”
See school ballot measure results statewide here.
