The registered voters of Nez Perce County will vote March 14 on the Lewiston School District Supplemental Levy.
Often, students don’t realize what a supplemental levy is and why it is important to their education. Supplemental levies are very common within the school districts of Idaho. The levy is a tax that helps provide for 36% of the school district’s operations and budgets that are not covered by state money.
At first glance, 36% does not seem like a big proportion of the district’s budget, but this money plays a more substantial role than meets the eye. The Lewiston School District uses this levy to fund opportunities such as music programs, career technical education, a 1:1 ratio of mobile devices for students and extracurricular activities. The security cameras and the school resource officers are funded through the levy in order to keep schools safe. Support in the classroom including K-3 literacy programs, additional special education staff and certified classroom staff are all available to students through the supplemental levy. If people have ever been a student enrolled in a Lewiston public school, the supplemental levy has positively affected them.
It is important to keep the school funded because a successful and nurturing school district is an important key to keeping the Lewiston-Clarkston community an enjoyable and satisfactory place to live.
Brad Cuddy, president of the school district board of directors, gave insight as to why this levy is substantial.
“The supplemental levy funds 36% of the total school district budget — that’s huge, so it is critical to our success!” Cuddy said. “Not only does it enable the district to offer better compensation and benefits to retain and attract excellent teachers and staff, it also provides for additional staffing to reduce class sizes and offer more support to students.”
Cuddy added what students need to know about the levy.
“We need your help. First, if you are 18 years old, get registered and vote on Election Day,” he said. “If you are too young to vote, you can still help by encouraging your friends, siblings, parents and grandparents to vote. Work with your principals to organize a voter registration drive . . .Put your social media skills to work by spreading the positive message about the levy with your circles of influence.”
Nez Perce County voters first approved the levy in 1986. Since then it has been renewed every five years. The current levy will expire June 30, 2024. Voting in March 2023 gives the district a year to plan a budget for making sure that students of the Lewiston School District are properly cared for.
If you are of voting eligibility, early voting will be open on Feb.13-March 10 from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. at the Nez Perce County Courthouse in Lewiston.
More information and frequently asked questions are available on the school district website:
lewistonschools.net.