STEVENSVILLE — Technology has changed a lot since 2004.
That’s when Stevensville's Lone Rock School District last ran a technology levy.
In 2026, the district is adding a new technology levy and a safety levy to the ballot.
The state funds 80 percent of a district’s maximum budget, which means schools must cover the remaining 20 percent.
Many schools cover that portion through levies.
The technology levy would be $100,000 annually in addition to the district’s current $19,650 perpetual levy from 2004.
Lone Rock School is not looking to have students spend more time on devices but to use the funds for day-to-day needs that rely on technology.
Those include electrical systems, heating systems, student computers, internet access and services to monitor digital threats such as phishing emails.
If the school's current technology costs are covered, general fund dollars could be used to better support education.
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"Right now we’re spending about $126,000 on technology with a $19,000 levy, so the cost per student has increased. Moving that money out of our general fund is compromising how we educate students. It’s important that we free up our general fund and move that to a technology fund," said Teresa Weems, superintendent of Lone Rock School District.
For a $300,000 home, the annual cost would be just under $30.
"I just want our community to know, we take this very serious. Asking them for more of their hard-earned money is not easy. It is something we don't take lightly," Weems said.
The $50,000 safety levy would improve campus security by updating cameras and aging infrastructure.
"Trying to secure our buildings, making sure we have all of our safety measures in place. We monitor who comes into our school, making sure we have eyes where they need to be," Weems said.
That would cost just under $15 a year for a $300,000 home.
