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Bonneville Joint District leaders propose $9.62 million supplemental levy for May ballot to preserve school programs
Summary
District officials said a $3.82 million increase in the supplemental levy is needed to avert program cuts after one-time state and federal funds were spent down; trustees voted to place a resolution on the May 19, 2026 ballot.
Bonneville Joint District officials told the school board they face a multimillion-dollar budget shortfall and proposed asking voters to increase the district's supplemental levy from $5,800,000 to $9,620,000.
The superintendent said the district is "running right around a $6,000,000 deficit," attributing the gap to a return to attendance-based state funding and the expiration of prior one-time federal and state funds. He said the district has worked to "right size" spending and identified about $4,000,000 of reductions, but recommended letting the community decide whether to restore and sustain locally funded programs through a levy increase.
Board members described programs at risk, including the gifted and talented program (GATE), music and physical education, student-wellness initiatives and all-day kindergarten. Trustee Paul Jenkins urged colleagues to consider the measure as an investment in ‘‘the generations to come,'' noting the broad impact of arts and co-curricular programs on student engagement.
The proposed resolution would place the supplemental levy question on the May 19, 2026 ballot; the board voted to approve the resolution for placement on that ballot. The board chair noted there has not been an increase in the supplemental levy since 2017.
Why it matters: District officials said one-time revenue sources have been spent down and that, without additional local revenue, the district would need to cut positions or programs because about 90% of the budget covers personnel costs. The superintendent said the levy would help preserve programs district leaders described as critical to students' social, emotional and academic development.
What happens next: The resolution was approved for placement on the May ballot. If voters approve the increase, the district would retain some programs now funded locally; if voters reject it, the board would need to pursue alternative budget reductions. The board moved and carried the motion to place the resolution on the ballot at tonight's meeting.
Attribution: Quotes and program descriptions come from staff presentations and trustees' remarks during the supplemental-levy discussion and vote. No public comments were registered during the fee hearing or levy hearing portion of the meeting.
