CANYON COUNTY, Idaho — The Parma School District is asking voters to approve a $1.3 million supplemental levy in the May 20th election to address urgent infrastructure needs, including failing HVAC systems and aging school buses.
"If the second one goes out, we have no heat in that building," said interim Superintendent Dale Lyne.
HVAC repairs are high on the district's priority list. One of the two systems at the middle school gym has already failed, making the space uncomfortably hot for much of the school year.
"And we can not get parts for it because of their age," Lyne said.
Officials fear the second system could fail, leaving students without a usable facility.
"And they are about 60-65,000 dollars per unit because these are large units," Lyne said.
The district faces financial challenges following the expiration of two previous funding mechanisms: the $400,000 supplemental levy, which expires this year, and the $250,000 plants and facilities levy, which expired last year.
Despite the $1.3 million request, property tax rates for homeowners may actually decrease. Lyne tells me rates could drop from $172 per $100,000 of assessed value to around $161 due to additional state facilities funding.
The district also hopes to replace two school buses with failing engines, at a cost of $150,000 for each bus. Repairing them again is not considered viable.
"We've actually placed one on order that would arrive in March of 2026 in hopes that the levy does pass," Lyne said.
Beyond infrastructure, the district aims to add more school resource officers and maintain extracurricular activities without implementing pay-to-play fees, which many other districts have adopted.
"We often think about athletics, but there's more than just athletics, there's band, choir, FFA, and BPA, and all those other activities that hopefully kids can participate in one of those things," Lyne said.
