KUNA, Idaho — After major budget cuts already this school year, the Kuna School District is asking voters for a 3.6 million dollar supplemental levy this November. If passed, the levy will maintain 37 teachers and add 6 more.
- The levy, if passed, will also fund replacements for student technology and textbooks.
- If the levy fails, the Kuna School District will have to cut 37 teachers, reduce kindergarten to half-days, alter high school schedules and increase class sizes for K-12.
- The Kuna School District is holding a community meeting informational meeting about the levy at 6 pm on Tuesday Sept. 17th, at Swan Falls High School.
- You can find more info about the levy here.
(Below is the transcript from the broadcast story)
“Back in May we cut about 2.5 million dollars from our budget," said Jason Reddy, an Assistant Superintendent for the Kuna School District.
He tells me that after this years budget cuts, they decided to ask voters for another levy.
“We were able to absorb as much as we could from an administrative perspective, but this next round is gonna be deep enough that I think kids and families will be impacted," Reddy said.
The two-year, 3.6 million dollar levy would help retain 37 teaching positions and add 6 more to reduce class sizes and fund some replacements for student technology and textbooks.
“In our last election we only had about 4000 voters come out. With the number of students that we have enrolled, if every student had two people: a grandparent, parent, aunt, uncle, mom, dad if they came out and were represented yes or no, either way, if they voted we would have about 11,700 I think people that vote in the election. So, that would be a much bigger number than what we saw last time when we ran our supplemental levy," added Reddy.
“I didn’t know about it. I just recently moved and we didn’t vote on it that time, but I will vote this time. Yes for sure,” said Darin Solmon, who has two kids in Kuna Schools.
He tells me though he didn’t vote on the last supplemental levy, it is important to fund education.
“I think anytime there’s a school levy it’s important. You know, education is paramount and primary as far as our kids are concerned and you know when you break it down it’s not really that much per household," said Solmon.
That cost per household comes out to about 65 dollars ($65.48) per $100,000 of taxable assessed value.
“I understand a lot of people that don’t have kids don’t want to pay for a levy that they feel like they’re not gonna utilize but we’re all gonna get older and these kids are going to be the adults deciding where we live and what we do and making the laws and running the government so I think it’s an investment in our future personally," added Solmon.
