Idaho lawmaker proposes yet another bill to handcuff schools — without consulting districts
Idaho Rep. Wendy Horman, R-Idaho Falls, on Monday introduced a bill that would ban school districts from asking for a bond or a levy in March or August.
Horman said she came up with the bill after talking with a group of friends “who are older” and who are active voters who expressed frustration with ballot measures that showed up on the ballot on off-cycle elections. That is, measures that are on the ballot in March and in August.
Those dates were set a couple of years ago when the state consolidated elections into four dates throughout the year: one date in March, one date in May, one date in August and the general election in November.
Horman said most voters are aware of the May and November election dates, but most people are not aware of the March and August dates. Horman said she asked the Legislature’s research librarian to research voter turnout which showed lower turnout in March and August, such that, at times, only several hundred people decide major issues.
Horman made it clear that she sees this as being related to rising property taxes.
Similar to a bill proposed by Rep. Heather Scott, R-Blanchard, Horman sees the problem that school districts are badgering the voters or putting one over on the voters by getting bonds and levies passed with little voter turnout.
So, when these bonds and levies pass, the cost of those bonds and levies is placed on the property tax bill.
Unfortunately, Horman doesn’t see the problem for what it truly is: The only method school districts have to build new buildings or make major capital repairs is to ask voters for bonds.
Further, the reason for the March election is to give school districts enough time to set their budgets, which are due June 1. If school districts are limited only to the May election in the spring, that doesn’t give school board members enough time to figure the money — or lack thereof — into the next year’s budget.
The Idaho School Boards Association will oppose the bill, according to Quinn Perry, policy and government affairs director for the association.
“That March date is so important to school districts because it’s when boards begin negotiating with their teachers,” Perry wrote to me in an email. “Contracts have to be issued and returned no later than June 1, so if the election were only to be moved to May, that does not provide enough time for negotiations to take place. Further, if it failed and districts had to wait until November to re-run, it could have a significant negative effect for districts.”
Rep. Brooke Green, D-Boise, asked Horman if she consulted at all with any local school districts.
Horman said she hadn’t, saying she looked only at the voter turnout numbers and her conversation with her local residents.
If Horman had consulted with her local school board members — any school board members, really — she would have heard that school districts would be scrambling in setting their annual budgets and hiring teachers if they’re waiting to find out what voters decide on either a supplemental levy or a bond.
I’ll say this again, legislators are looking at the wrong problem. The problem is not that school board members are some sort of money-grubbing, mischievous band of thieves trying to rob the taxpayers. The problem is that school districts have needs that are only fulfilled by asking property taxpayers for the money. Property taxes are on the rise not because school boards are putting one over on the voters. Property taxes are on the rise because the needs are growing and there are no other alternatives.
