NAMPA, Idaho — When voters in Nampa head to the polls this Tuesday, they will be asked whether or not to approve a $12 million supplemental levy that would go toward schools in the district.
"It replaces the current levy we have that will end at the fiscal year," said Gregg Russell, the assistant superintendent of the Nampa School District.
Russell says the majority of the funding will go toward a new curriculum, staff and building upgrades.
"We have some schools right now that when it rains, roofs leak, so kids walk down the halls and there are buckets in the halls," Russell said.
Russell says facility improvements also include tighter security.
"We have been trying to get secure lobbies in all of our schools," Russell said. "The vast majority have them but there are a few more buildings we would like to do that in and security cameras as well."
Russell also says a portion of that $12 million will go toward extracurriculars.
"Transportation for some of our athletics and we have some additional things going for our music programs for secondary and elementary," said Russell.
As far as the impact the levy would have on taxpayers, Russell says the levy would decrease the overall tax rate, keeping tax bill the same or in some cases a slight decrease.
"It's a little bit of two things," Russell said. "We can lower our bond rate and use money we have in savings to make our payment so that allows us to lower the bond. "Then all the businesses in the district, all the homes in the district, that value has increased everywhere so the pie has gotten larger."
Voters can enter their home value on the Nampa school district website for an exact calculation of how this levy could affect them.
The $12 million supplemental levy needs a simple majority to pass.
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