Friends of the Boise School District has scheduled two public information meetings on the supplemental levy to be voted on in a special election on Aug. 30. Residents are invited to attend to hear presentations and ask questions.

The first meeting is from 7 to 8:30 p.m., Thursday at the Borah High School Auditorium, 6001 W. Cassia St. in Boise. A second meeting will be held from 7 to 8:30 p.m., Thursday, May 12 at the Timberline High School Auditorium, 701 E. Boise Ave. in Boise.

Here is some background information provided by the meeting organizers about the levy:

How much will the District request in the supplemental levy?

• The amount is expected to be $15 to $17 million. It is estimated that passage of a $15 million supplemental levy would increase property taxes by $9.41 per month for every $100,000 of current taxable value. The exact amount of the supplemental levy will be determined by the Boise School Board on July 11, after the district’s 2011-12 budget is set and the district has a better sense of the state’s revenue picture.

What will the supplemental levy do?

• Maintain student class sizes at current levels, avoiding increases of four to six students per classroom. • Retain district teaching staff, avoiding the potential loss of 300 teachers. • Cover a projected deficit for the 2012-13 school year of $23 million.

Why do we need the supplemental levy?

• Projected District revenues will decline by $36 million from $201 million in 2008-09 to $165 million by 2012-13. District revenue has not been as low as $165 million since 2000-01. • This projected reduction in revenue is the result of a decline in state funding of $23 million and a decline of $13 million from local property tax revenue.

• Approval of State Senate Bill 1184 (Superintendent Luna’s technology and training priorities) means additional permanent long-term revenue reductions to the District’s budget totaling nearly $19 million through the 2015-16 school year, and $4.4 million per year thereafter.

What district budget cuts have already been made?

• Numerous administrative staff cuts, including assistant principals, directors, and school counselors. • All district employees took an unpaid three-day furlough this school year, saving $2.1 million; the furlough days will continue even if the levy passes. • Teachers and administrators have taken salary and benefit reductions for the last two years. • Reduced school and department supply, equipment, and technology budgets: No funds were budgeted to purchase new textbooks ($2 million cut) or library books ($328,000 cut) this year; nursing/counselor budget cut by $192,000 this year; $350/teacher for classroom supplies cut. • Nine schools start later to save $304,000 through bus transportation efficiencies.

What about using the district’s rainy day fund?

• The District anticipates that the Undesignated Fund Balance, a.k.a. “rainy day fund,” saved for tough economic times by the Board of Trustees will be spent to balance the 2011-12 budget; we will also use up the last federal JOBS bill money. These numbers will be confirmed when the 2011-12 budget is set in June.

Who can vote in the Aug. 30 supplemental levy election?

• United States citizens who have been residents of the Boise school district for at least 30 days and are 18 years of age or over may vote in the election.

Find your polling location: http://www.idahovotes.gov/AbsenteeBallot/Default.aspx or http://www.adaweb.net/Clerk/Elections.aspx or call the Ada County Elections Office at 287-6860.