Voters residing in both the Somers-Lakeside and Whitefish school districts cast mail ballots in favor of special levy requests during a May 5 school election.
Somers-Lakeside requested a general fund mill levy worth $185,000 annually, or 7.29 mills, which voters approved 661 to 444. Property taxes will increase by $19.09 for homes valued at $200,000.
According to administrators, the funding measure will address a laundry list of safety and emergency upgrades, long-standing maintenance projects and potential staffing needs, with asbestos abatement as a top priority.
The funds will benefit both Lakeside Elementary and Somers Middle School, although the highest priorities lie in Somers, where a site that was built in the early 1950s and last upgraded in the 1990s has fallen further into disrepair, according to administrators.
Hoping to provide a transparent explanation of the district’s needs, Superintendent Paul Jenkins has included a list of specific projects and estimated costs on the district’s website, http://www.somersdist29.org. A tax calculator is also available to show potential impacts on property taxes.
Whitefish’s elementary district requested a general fund levy worth $36,000, which voters approved 980 to 536.
Whitefish voters also re-elected incumbent chairwoman Pat Jarvi and elected Marguerite Kaminski to three-year terms on the school board representing the elementary district. Jarvi received 1,009 votes, or 40 percent of the vote; Kaminski received 851, or 34 percent; and Bob Auerbach received 653, or 26 percent.
Whitefish voter turnout was 15.8 percent. Of the 9,666 registered voters, 1,529 ballots were cast.
Administrators sought the increase in funding to address increased enrollment. Property taxes will increase $1.86 for homes valued at $200,000.
In the Bigfork School District, voters elected Christina Relyea with 528 votes to a three-year term representing the elementary district. Incumbent Maureen Averill received 491 votes.
In a Flathead Valley Community College trustee election, Callie Langohr, of Kalispell, was elected to a three-year term for the Flathead/Glacier High School District. Langohr received 2,698 votes while Terry Kramer received 1,908.