HAZLETON, Idaho — Jerome County's Valley School District voters will decide on a $300,000 supplemental levy renewal in November after rejecting the measure in May's election.
The two-year levy would fund teacher and staff salaries, benefits, and student travel expenses for extracurricular activities. Without it, Superintendent Ty Jones expects the district will need to eliminate three to five teaching positions and reduce travel for activities such as basketball and volleyball.
"If the levy doesn't pass, there's potentially a loss of staff," Jones said. "It could be anywhere from three to four positions up to maybe five."
Jones acknowledged the complexity of school funding decisions.
"It's not as black and white as some people might think, which can be frustrating when you're when you're looking at it from the outside looking in," Jones said.
The levy would cost property owners approximately $90 annually per $100,000 of assessed value. While that amount may seem manageable for average homeowners, longtime Hazleton resident Judy Holland points out that the agricultural nature of the community means farmers would bear most of the tax burden.
"Ninety percent of it will be paid by your farmers," Holland said.
Holland, whose six children attended Valley schools, opposes the levy renewal despite supporting education funding in general.
"I don't mind paying my county taxes, my state taxes, and it goes to the schools, but they need to learn to manage their finances," Holland said. "If they could show us 50,000 to do this or something in black and white so we can see it — not a problem."
She noted a generational shift in her family's experience with the district.
"I loved going to Valley, my six kids went to Valley — loved it. My three grandsons hated it," Holland said.
Jones emphasized the difficult position the district faces if voters reject the measure again.
"If it is rejected by the voters, the district will have some pretty tough decisions to make," Jones said.
Election Day is Nov. 4, with early voting available from Oct. 20 through Oct. 31.
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been, in part, converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
