KELLOGG, Idaho — The Kellogg School District faces a critical $3.5 million budget shortfall after voters rejected a supplemental levy last fall, forcing administrators to prepare for significant cuts to programs and positions.
“It will affect everyone and everything that we do,” said Lance Pearson, Kellogg School District superintendent.
Pearson says the district has relied on supplemental levy funding for years, making the November rejection particularly surprising to administrators.
“We’ve been relying on it for 15 to 20 years. It’s something that is continuously passed,” Pearson said.
The budget crisis threatens multiple programs and services. Transportation, full-day kindergarten, and extracurricular activities are among the potential cuts if funding isn’t secured. The district must now prepare two separate budgets — one assuming the levy passes and another if it fails again.
If the levy fails again, over 60 positions, including those of administrators, teachers, and other staff members, will face elimination. The districts said this represents approximately one-third of the district’s workforce.
“It’s pretty sad to be honest with you,” Pearson said. “Realizing how many people this was going to be was kind of a shocking weight.”
Pearson hopes to run the same levy again, pending approval from the school board. For a homeowner with a $250,000 property, the levy would cost around $592 annually.
“When we asked for the money, this was the money we needed to keep the services at the level that they’re at,” Pearson said.
If the school board approves the proposal, voters will decide on the levy again in May.
The current levy expires at the end of the school year.
You can read more about the district’s funding here.
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