Board sets levy requests

The Whitefish School Board set two levy

requests at an April 4 special meeting, with the high school

request coming in below original estimates.

The board is requesting a $174,000 levy

for K-8 schools. The tax impact on an owner of a home appraised at

$200,000 will be $15.96 annually. The high school levy request was

$97,000, which will cost an owner of a $200,000 home $9.12

annually.

School superintendent Jerry House had

estimated a $124,000 high school levy request on March 22. The

board decided a lower levy could be achieved by cutting more staff

without affecting the quality of school programs.

“We looked at the staffing numbers at

the high school compared to the number of kids we have, and the

ratio is too high,” House said. “We could have gone for the

$300,000 maximum, but we don’t need to do that. We’re trying to be

accountable to the public.”

District business director Danelle

Reisch said details about a finalized budget and potential staff

layoffs won’t be known until after the levy vote and when the state

legislative session is complete.

“It’s a bit of a wait-and-see now,” she

said.

Whitefish voters will cast their

ballots for or against the levy during the May 3 school

election.

In other school election news, the

names of the four candidates running for the board of trustees have

been placed on the ballot. Running to fill the three open spots are

longtime trustee David Fern, Tagen Vine, Heather Vrentas and Shawn

Watts.