On Tuesday, the Nampa community voted to pass a $14.7 million levy to fund programming and staff at the school district for the next two years.
The levy passed with over 55% of votes and will fund staffing positions, curriculum, laptops and programming. If the measure had failed, district spokesperson Kathleen Tuck says Nampa schools would’ve had to cut 44 positions and a preschool program serving 245 children.
“The thought of having to cut something when we're struggling already to provide everything that our kids need was very difficult,” she said. “So we’re super relieved.”
In 2006, the state legislature slashed property taxes for public schools by 260 million dollars, shifting schools’ funding to rely on state and income taxes instead.
The current levy will expire in June 2024, at which point this latest one will go into effect for two years. If nothing changes in the legislature by the end of this levy, Tuck says the cycle will continue.
“Then likely we would have to come back to Nampa residents and ask them to once again approve a replacement levy, Tuck said, adding the district is grateful voters understand the importance of education.
Nampa’s School District was not the only Canyon County district to pass supplemental funding. Voters in Middleton approved $1.5 million for a school district levy for the next two years. It was approved with 58% of the votes.
