EMMETT, Idaho — Jeanne Anderson is a nurse in the Emmett School District who came into her position unexpectedly.
She was volunteering at a church camp when the then-principal of the middle school approached her and asked if she'd be interested in working with students. She thought it would be similar to patching up kids at camp, but quickly discovered it was far more involved.
Anderson now covers Carberry Elementary, Butte View Elementary, and True North. The other full-time nurse covers Shadow Butte Middle School, Emmett High School, Sweet, and Ola. The Emmett Middle School nurse is part-time, and her salary was originally funded through a grant.
"People don't realize the importance of the nurse in the schools," shared Anderson. "The role, it's a lot more than band-aids and bumps or bruises, there's a lot of managing these health conditions to keep the kids safe."
Watch to learn more about the school district's May 19 levy.
Even during the interview, students unexpectedly came into her office needing immediate attention — including a student whose insulin levels were being monitored in real time.
Every year at the start of the school year, Anderson trains staff on glucagon administration for diabetic students, seizure rescue medications for students with epilepsy, and EpiPen administration for those with nut allergies.
She also arranges CPR and Stop the Bleed classes, coordinates dental checkups, screens for vision & hearing impairments, and teaches classes on puberty, vaping, and non-smoking. She noted that for some students, the school nurse is the only medical care they receive.
Anderson said the need for nursing support is growing alongside the community.
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The situation at Butte View has become increasingly difficult as the school grows. There, a student was recently diagnosed with diabetes requiring injections, carbohydrate counting, and insulin management throughout the day. Because Anderson can only be at Butte View for about an hour a day, the family was asked to move their child — and the child's siblings — to Carberry so the student could receive proper nursing supervision.
Anderson currently has multiple diabetic students, students with seizure disorders, and students with life-threatening allergies. One diabetic student comes to her office about eight times a day to stay safe at school.
"I can train the staff as much as I can, but in reality— that's not their function," conceded Anderson.
Anderson said she has been pushing for more nursing staff for a while, so when she heard the levy would include funding for an additional nurse, she was excited.
The $2.3 million per year supplemental levy on the May 19 ballot would be authorized for two years, commencing with the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026.
The levy is broken down into five specific funding categories:
- $300,000 for K-5 district behavior support personnel
- $700,000 for custodial services and light maintenance
- $75,000 for supplemental curriculum and supplies
- $225,000 for district nursing personnel
- $1,000,000 for routine and emergency maintenance of district facilities and grounds
If the levy passes, the district would go from two full-time nurses and one part-time nurse to three nurses, with one for each elementary school. The remaining schools — including the middle school, high school, True North, Sweet, and Ola — would continue to be covered.
"It keeps the kids in school," Anderson said.
Anderson also noted that the district is facing potential cuts if the levy fails, including the possibility of half-day kindergarten and requiring parents to transport students to sports away games instead of busing.
Kary Ann Murphree, an Emmett parent with twin 11-year-olds at Carberry Elementary and a 13-year-old at Emmett Middle School, said she is excited to see the levy return after watching previous levies fail.
She framed the levy as an issue of community responsibility, saying someone was responsible for her education when she was a child, and now it is her turn to be responsible for the children in the community — not just her own.
"That's less than what I would spend on the kids that are graduating as presents. So we are lucky that it's very low and that it is going to do so much for our kids," Murphree said.
Murphree said having a full-time nurse at every school has always been "standard operating procedure" in other places she has lived, but that has not been the case in Emmett. She also has a friend who is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) with 20 years of experience, and said that when teachers are asked to fill that role, it takes away from their ability to teach.
"We have amazing kids in this community, but we also have the potential for not amazing things to happen if we don't give them the correct support," stated Murphree.
Murphree said the community cannot stay stuck in the past and needs to move forward for the sake of its children. She described the levy as a two-year commitment at a very low buy-in.
She also shared an interesting historical note: she said that Emmett has a type of grandfather status since the city existed before the state of Idaho was created, meaning the school board could technically issue a levy without a vote — but she noted the board would never do that because they care about the community.
She emphasized that Idaho's local control over education is a privilege that residents should embrace.
"We're lucky here in Idaho that we don't have to just be state-run and have everything pushed in from the state— that we can do things locally. So I think we need to really enjoy that power that we have to be able to support locally, and maybe let's make Emmett proud," added Murphree.
The ballot is required by Idaho law to show the full potential cost of $72.03 per $100,000 of assessed value per year. However, that number does not reflect what taxpayers will actually pay.
Under House Bill 292, state tax relief is applied first to reduce the total amount levied. The Emmett School Board of Trustees has also placed a cap on the remaining amount, meaning property taxes will not exceed $12 per $100,000 of assessed value
The levy needs a simple majority — more than 50 percent of yes votes — to pass on May 19. Early in-person voting is underway now. The levy was authorized by the Emmett School District Board of Trustees in a resolution adopted on March 9, 2026.
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