By Dr. Shon Hocker, Superintendent
For decades, our community has helped support Coeur d’Alene Public Schools through a local school levy. That long-standing investment has been meaningful. It has helped our district provide the teachers, programs, and opportunities students need to learn, grow, and leave our schools prepared for college, careers, and life.
On November 3, voters who live within our school district will consider a two-year replacement levy. I want to explain what the levy is, what it funds, and why the amount on the ballot is changing.
A levy is local property-tax funding approved by voters for a set period. The district’s current levy provides $25 million per year and supports about one-quarter of our operating budget. Voters approved it in November 2024, and we are now in the second year of that funding. The current levy expires June 30, 2027.
The levy on the November ballot is a replacement, not an additional school levy. If approved, it would replace the current levy when it expires, providing $30.25 million per year from July 1, 2027, through June 30, 2029.
Idaho law limits school levies to run for one year, two years, or permanently. Our district uses a two-year levy so voters can regularly review the amount and how the funding is used. That is why the replacement levy is on the ballot this fall, even though the current levy does not expire until next summer.
State funding does not cover the full cost of the staff, programs, and services our district currently provides. The local levy helps make up that difference. It helps pay for more than 300 teachers and support staff, along with academic programs and electives, full-day kindergarten, technology, and classroom resources. It supports career and technical education programs such as the Kootenai Technical Education Campus (KTEC), where students prepare for careers in fields including health care, construction, welding, automotive technology and the skilled trades.
The levy also supports school safety officers, nurses and mental health services; athletics, music, drama and debate; and operating costs such as transportation, utilities and maintenance.
The proposed increase from $25 million to $30.25 million is not intended to expand programs or add services. It reflects the estimated inflationary costs needed to maintain current staffing, programs, and services during the 2027-28 and 2028-29 school years. The district is paying more for health insurance, liability insurance, utilities, fuel, supplies, and other fundamental needs, while state revenue is expected to remain relatively flat.
We know families, retirees, and businesses are also feeling the effects of rising costs. We do not take that lightly. Just as inflation affects household budgets, it affects the cost of operating schools. We will continue providing clear information about the levy and its estimated tax impact so community members can understand what is being proposed before they vote.
The support our community has provided over many years can be seen in the work happening across our schools. Based on Idaho’s latest accountability measures, Coeur d’Alene Public Schools is the second-highest-performing district among the state’s larger school districts. Several of our schools also made significant gains in the latest state rankings, and early enrollment figures point to meaningful growth this year.
These results belong to our students, families, teachers, and staff. They also reflect a community that has consistently placed value on education and on preparing young people for what comes next.
This work is happening in a state that ranks last among the 50 states and Washington, D.C., in per-student spending. Local levies are one way Idaho communities help fund the staffing, programs, and services they want in their schools.
Each voter will decide whether the proposed replacement levy fits the needs and priorities of our community. Between now and November 3, the district will continue sharing factual information about the measure, its cost, and what it supports.
Learn more at https://www.cdaschools.org/o/levy