Aberdeen to try again for facilities levy

In November, the Aberdeen School District will take another run at passing a school levy.

The rural district in East Idaho’s Bingham County wants a 10-year, $2.75 million plant facilities levy to cover building upkeep. The question will again appear on the ballot in November, Nathan Brown of the Idaho Falls Post Register reported Wednesday.

An identical levy received 64 percent voter approval in August, but fell short of the two-thirds supermajority required for passage.

In August, Idaho Education News originally reported that Aberdeen’s levy had passed. But plant facilities levies require different voter thresholds to pass — based on the size of the levy — and Aberdeen’s levy needs to clear the most daunting two-thirds threshold.

Two other East Idaho districts will also have levies on the ballot in November, Brown reported. Teton County will seek to renew a two-year, $6.2 million supplemental levy, and West Jefferson will seek a two-year, $600,000 supplemental levy. Both districts are seeking to renew levies that have been on the books for five years.

Both supplemental levies need only a simple majority to pass.

Kevin Richert

Kevin Richert

Senior reporter and blogger Kevin Richert specializes in education politics and education policy. He has more than 30 years of experience in Idaho journalism. He is a frequent guest on "Idaho Reports" on Idaho Public Television and "Idaho Matters" on Boise State Public Radio. Follow Kevin on Twitter: @KevinRichert. He can be reached at [email protected]

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