Levy meetings on tap in coming weeks

Columbia Falls School District 6 will hold a series of informational meetings on three levies slated for the upcoming school election.

The District will seek a $430,667 levy for the elementary district and a $157,463 levy for the high school district. In addition, the district is seeking a $2.75 million building reserve levy request for two years to replace the leaking roof on the east wing of the high school.

The building reserve levy request is split into $1.375 million annually. The district discovered the roof was failing when it began a separate and federally-funded heating and cooling project for the school.

That project is on hold until the roof can be addressed.

The roof levy would have an approximately $83.16 tax impact on a home assessed for $300,000; and $166.32 on a home assessed for $600,000.

The tax impact of the roof project would last two years.

The elementary school levy request amounts to $30.70 for a home assessed for $300,000 and $61.40 for a home assessed for $600,000.

The high school levy would be $8.63 on a $300,000 home, while it would be $17.25 on a $600,000 home.

If all the levies pass, the total tax impact on a $300,000 home would be $122.49 and $244.97 on a $600,000 home.

The operational levy requests find the district in a bind as expenses have increased about 6% for the elementary budget, while the state of Montana’s reimbursement rate is about 2%.

Even if the elementary levy succeeds, the district is still looking at about a $40,000 deficit.

The high school is slightly better, with expenses about 4.56% and state reimbursement about 2% as well.

Cost of living increases haven’t kept pace with inflation, the school has said.

The first meeting is April 16 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the high school. Then two more April 18 from 4 to 7 p.m. at the junior high and 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Glacier Gateway Elementary. A presentation and tour at the high school is 7 p.m., April 23. A meeting at Canyon Elementary is 5 to 7 p.m. April 25.

Ballots will be mailed April 19 and are due by May 7.