BIGFORK — The Bigfork School District will be asking taxpayers to support two general fund levies in the amount of $603,000 on the May ballot.
Bigfork Schools Superintendent Matt Jensen says the elementary school has been at capacity for several years. He says the district has had to turn families away who have wanted to attend the elementary because there is no room.
Meanwhile, the high school has increased by about 50 students. Jensen said this levy would focus on improving learning in the classroom and the curriculum. Jensen told MTN News the district can't afford to cut anything else from its budget and needs the money.
"The trustees have taken a long standing position in our district of not asking unless we need it. And so every year, you know, when there's a deficit we look at where we can cut [where] there's a pretty fiscally responsible prudent way of just trimming things back," Jensen said.
"We've done that for 13 years and so we're getting to a point to where we can't continue to cut curriculum, we can't continue to cut text books. And then our salary schedule has fallen pretty far behind," he added.
If passed, taxpayers would be paying $15 for a home valued at $100,000 for the elementary school bond and $9 per year for a home valued at $100,000 for the high school.
The ballots are due back by May 5.
