MIDDLETON, Idaho — The Middleton School Board is asking voters to approve a supplemental levy again — this time for less money than the one they rejected in May.
The new proposal is $3 million total — $1.5 million a year for two years. The levy would cost taxpayers an estimated $30 per $100,000 of taxable assessed value each year.
Voters narrowly rejected the district's $1.9 million levy request in May. Following that vote, the district cut teachers and classified staff and eliminated some security, curriculum and transportation services.
Superintendent Marc Gee says the lower amount is about finding a number the district believes can still restore some of the services it lost. That includes bringing back armed security guards at elementary schools and adding another school resource officer.
"There's a large portion of this levy is geared towards security. It's towards the another SRO right now in our whole district. We just have one SRO for a district our size, that's a hard, a hard thing to manage," Gee said.
WATCH: Middleton School District asks voters to approve a $3 million supplemental levy
The district also wants money for curriculum — something Gee says is not specifically funded by the state.
The district is also not currently providing buses for some local athletic events, leaving some parents to drive their kids.
"Being able to transport our kids to games. I feel like that's something we should be able to do as a school, but we have to have the funds to be able to do it," Gee said.
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For some taxpayers, the question isn't just how much the district is asking for.
Ron Saunders has lived in Middleton since 2018.
He says he supports investing in education but wants to see a long-term plan.
"The issue I have is that... we are not spending money on education properly," Saunders said.
Saunders also points to Middleton's rapid growth.
"With the uncontrolled growth in our area, they're just adding money in terms of bonds and levies to expand the existing situation, and I want to see a better education for our children," Saunders said. "We want the right plan. Too much is going to the wrong entities within the system."
The district has also heard concerns about whether the levy is connected to the new elementary school. Gee says that's not the case.
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The new school is being funded through state funds, and Gee says the teachers and administrators needed to staff it are already in the district.
"It's really about just being able to provide the level of service that we're looking to be able to provide," Gee said.
The levy needs a simple majority to pass.
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