Bill to Reduce Supplemental Levies, Property Taxes Introduced in Senate Education

A bill to reduce supplemental levies for school districts was introduced in the Senate Education Committee Thursday.

The legislation, sponsored by Sen. David Nelson (D-Moscow), would enable the Idaho Legislature to appropriate additional funding to K-12 schools. Per the bill, if a school has a supplemental levy in place, 75% of the allocated money must go to reducing the levy. But if there is no levy, the school can use the funds at their discretion. 

Nelson said the proposal not only benefits schools, but lowers property taxes for residential homeowners, as more districts have been forced to rely on levies for general maintenance. Currently, 89 of Idaho’s 115 school districts have levies in place totaling $218 million.

Nelson said if the bill passed and $300 million were appropriated, property taxes would be reduced by $141 million. The number of schools with an active levy would be cut in half as well. 

“Strong and successful communities start with our children’s schools. By providing our school districts the resources they desperately need, we can ensure facilities are safe and sustainable, teachers have access to the tools they need to succeed, and children receive an excellent education anywhere in the state. With the bill, we can also alleviate the growing property tax burden on homeowners,” Nelson said. “This is a win-win.”