An emotional levy hearing in Nampa

On Thursday night, Nampa residents got a chance to speak up on a possible school levy.

And trustees heard impassioned testimony on both sides, as the Idaho Press-Tribune reported Friday:

  • Said Louise Douglas, the mother of two children in Nampa’s Reagan Elementary School, “If people think that saving a little bit of money is going to work out in the long run, it will not. This will have consequences.”
  • Said Elizabeth Lee, who moved to Nampa from Twin Falls County two years ago, “What I’m here to say today is that the taxes are just really a burden on everybody here as it is, and I believe in education thoroughly, but you have got to keep this under control. … I pay more for my property taxes every month than I do for all of my utilities.”

The Nampa School Board is considering running a levy on March 11, the earliest date open for school elections. Two levies, totaling $7.5 million, expire this year.

The school board will meet Tuesday night to decide whether to put a levy on the March ballot. The meeting begins at 7:30 p.m. in district offices, 619 S. Canyon St.

In other levy news from around the state, add the Magic Valley district of Buhl to the list of districts going to the voters in March. Buhl will ask voters to renew a two-year levy totaling $800,000. (Here’s more from The Times-News.)

Drop us a line: Idaho Education News wants to compile as complete a list as possible of pending levies and bond issues. If there’s an election coming up in your town, send me a note at [email protected]

 

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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