The Granite Falls School District Board of Directors ran a two-year supplemental levy on the August 17 ballot, but the levy failed with 55 percent of voters marking “no” on their forms.

The levy was important to the district for several reasons and school budget cuts top the list.

With the district facing another $1 million in budget cuts for the 2010-2011 school year, even after the $1.3 million in cuts from last year, the two-year levy would have provided the district with funds of just over $500,000 per year for the next two years.

The supplemental Program and Operation Levy was to provide funding for day-to-day expenses which would include textbooks, maintenance to facilities and grounds, utilities, staff training, support staff and special education.

If the levy had passed it would have cost homeowners approximately 35 cents per thousand dollars of their home’s assessed value, which means that a home assessed at $250,000 would cost the taxpayer an additional $7 per month.
The Program  and Operation Levy would have provided the district an additional five percent to their current levy which is 23 percent of the district’s total budget.

The Granite Falls School Board and Superintendent Karen Koschak knew the impact the new levy would have on families, however, felt that asking the community for the additional funds was worth it.

“This was a difficult decision to make. The Board certainly understands everyone is affected by the economic times and it is difficult to ask local taxpayers for more support,” Superintendent Karen Koschak said. “At the same time, the Board knows that by having this supplemental levy, we can retrieve over $1 million dollars and that would be a huge help. After a lot of discussion, the decision for the Board was easy—let the voters decide.”

To make the ballot process more clear, levies are for learning while bonds are for buildings.
This levy would have covered the cost of learning for local students.