May Ballot Measure Would Replace Existing Levy, Fund Core Programs
Voters in Bonneville Joint School District 93 will decide in May whether to approve a two-year supplemental levy that would generate $9.6 million annually to keep several educational programs running.
The measure would replace the district’s current levy while providing additional revenue to address what school officials describe as mounting budget pressures. Without the new funding, district leadership says programs including full-day kindergarten, gifted and talented education, and elementary physical education and music classes face elimination in coming years.
Scott Woolstenhulme, superintendent of District 93, told reporters that the district has been drawing down reserve funds for the past two years to maintain programming that state funding no longer covers. Those reserves are nearly depleted, he said.
Enrollment Decline and State Budget Cuts Drive Shortfall
Woolstenhulme pointed to two primary factors behind the budget gap: falling student enrollment and corresponding reductions in state funding tied to enrollment numbers. Idaho’s school funding formula allocates resources based on student counts, meaning districts with shrinking enrollment receive less state money even as fixed costs remain stable.
District 93 has been using what Woolstenhulme described as a savings account to bridge the gap between state allocations and the cost of maintaining programs. That approach is no longer sustainable, he said.
The proposed levy would provide $9.6 million each year for two consecutive years. District officials confirmed that if voters reject the measure, the programs currently supported by reserve funds will be phased out as those reserves run dry.
Programs on the Line Include Full-Day Kindergarten, Gifted Education
Among the programs at risk are full-day kindergarten, which extends learning time for the district’s youngest students, and gifted and talented education services designed for high-achieving students who need additional academic challenges.
Elementary schools would also lose dedicated physical education and music instruction if the levy fails. These offerings are not mandated by Idaho law but have been district priorities funded through local dollars.
The district has not released details on how it would implement cuts if the levy does not pass, but Woolstenhulme indicated the reductions would be phased in over multiple years rather than all at once.
What Comes Next
The supplemental levy will appear on the May ballot for registered voters in Bonneville Joint School District 93, which serves Idaho Falls, Ammon, Iona, and surrounding areas in eastern Idaho. The district has not yet announced the exact election date or details on voter information sessions.
If approved, the levy would take effect for the next two fiscal years, replacing the existing levy structure. District officials will need to seek voter approval again before the two-year period expires if they wish to continue the funding beyond that point.
School boards across Idaho have turned to supplemental levies in recent years as state funding has not kept pace with rising costs and as districts have faced enrollment shifts tied to demographic changes and competition from charter schools.