WBCSD Cost Per Student
Did you know that WBCSD’s cost per student is higher than that of the school districts of Lake Pend Oreille, Boundary, Post Falls, Coeur d’Alene, and Lakeland? Higher than the Idaho average for school districts? And even higher than the annual cost of tuition and books at the University of Idaho? WBCSD’s cost is $12,680. The University of Idaho’s $9,434.
How is it possible to educate a student at a top Idaho university for less than at the small, rural school district in the west end of Bonner County where enrollment has steadily dropped for 17 years? From 1,400-plus students in 2004 to 950 in 2021, this should have by now resulted in lower expenses, smaller budgets, and therefore a lower cost per student. But the opposite is the case.
- The budget was raised by $200,000 last July.
- $375,000 in federal CARES Act funds arrived to bolster it.
- $4 million-plus in federal ARPA funds will be arriving shortly to bolster the new budget, and only $614,000 of that are required to be spent on virus-related expenses. The rest is for whatever the district wants, including salaries.
- Now WBCSD is asking for a 2-year “renewal” levy for $6,865,158. “Renewal” is actually a misnomer, because the previous 2-year levy was $6 million. The “renewal” levy is a 14.4% tax increase.
At this rate, WBCSD will remain at the top of the heap in cost per student, but it’s not something they talk about.
On May 18, vote AGAINST on this levy!
J. Helnan
Priest River
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