IDAHO FALLS, Idaho — The Bonneville Joint School District is preparing voters and staff for significant program eliminations if a supplemental levy fails in May, as trustees unanimously approved a contingency plan Wednesday night outlining cuts that would reach from physical education classes to all-day kindergarten.
The plan, presented by Superintendent Scott Woolstenhulme, lays out a two-year framework of reductions that district leaders say they hope never to implement. A two-year, $19.2 million supplemental levy is set for the May 19 election, and the contingency plan represents the district’s response to what happens if Bonneville County voters reject it.
What the Contingency Plan Would Cut
Under the first year of the plan, the district would eliminate physical education and music programs, phase out gifted and talented offerings, and reassign teachers as a cost-saving measure. In the second year, all-day kindergarten would be reduced to half-day kindergarten — though Woolstenhulme said the district would draw from its savings to fund full-day kindergarten for one year if the levy fails, buying families a single school year before the reduction takes effect.
“I just want to be clear this is nothing, I think, any of us want to do,” Woolstenhulme said of the potential cuts during Wednesday’s board meeting.
The superintendent framed the contingency plan as a transparency measure — the first formal opportunity for district patrons and faculty to understand the financial stakes ahead of the May vote.
Some budget cuts are already being made regardless of the levy outcome. District administrators have agreed to forgo salary increases and eliminate a monthly $100 mileage allowance in response to a budget shortfall district leaders estimate at $6 million. Woolstenhulme previously outlined potential cost-saving measures in March, including a possible staff reduction of around 40 employees.
Why Bonneville’s Budget Is Under Pressure
The district’s financial strain stems from a combination of factors that have compounded over recent years. Bonneville has experienced continued enrollment declines, which reduce the per-pupil state funding the district receives. At the same time, Idaho lawmakers kept state K-12 funding flat during the most recent legislative session, offering no relief to districts already stretching their budgets.
While K-12 education has been exempt from other statewide budget cuts, flat funding combined with rising operational costs has left districts like Bonneville in a difficult position. The district has been drawing from its fund balance — essentially its savings reserve — to cover the gap between revenues and expenses. At the current rate of spending, district leaders warn those savings will run dry by 2027.
Trustee Randy Smith pointed to the years of accumulated financial pressure the district now faces. “We have inflation, we’ve opened more schools,” Smith said during Wednesday’s meeting, reflecting on what has changed since the district last increased its levy in 2017.
That context helps explain why trustees voted to significantly increase the levy request. The board previously considered an $11.6 million levy ask before voting to raise it to the current $19.2 million figure — a decision driven by the magnitude of the budget shortfall and the district’s projected financial trajectory.
What Comes Next
Bonneville Joint School District voters will have the final say on the two-year, $19.2 million supplemental levy when they go to the polls on May 19. The levy represents the district’s primary tool for closing its estimated $6 million budget gap and avoiding the program eliminations outlined in the contingency plan.
District leaders have indicated they will continue communicating with patrons and staff about both the levy and the cuts that would follow a failed vote. The board’s unanimous approval of the contingency plan signals that trustees are preparing for both outcomes while publicly expressing their preference to avoid any reductions to student programming.
For statewide coverage of Idaho school district budget challenges and legislative funding decisions, visit idahonews.co. For additional context on how Bonneville’s situation fits within the broader Idaho News Network, visit IdahoNewsNetwork.com.