Voters approve Mountain Home School District supplemental levy; Rimrock levy fails

Simply amazing. Wonder if I could get $1.00 from every citizen of MH. I mean its only $1.00 and they do not need to know what I do with it.

I would expect my children to get value from that $1.00 Joe. I think that we get value from the MHSD.

Thanks once again to MHSD for digging into my ever smaller checkbook without having a plan of what to do with the money. And once again thanks to MH News for staying unbiased oh wait, they supported. I am never surprised that I have yet to talk to one person that has ever supported the levies for MHSD and yet it passes just about every time. And yes, I talked to about 100 people as a random sample of how the public felt about this. I did well in my statistics course. Oh but wait this is all for the kids, not the highly paid MHSD employees that cannot seem to balance or even develop a budget. I should be quiet and thank them as I look for a second job to help pay their salaries in addition to all the increases in the items we need like food, fuel and shelter.

Just the school district employees and their adult family members make up 700 votes. There was little chance of failure.

You know what's amazing...is your disrepect and continuing trash talking of the school district...WAKE UP! School districts around the state MUST find ways of raising $$$$$$ to maintain the districts buildings and infrastructure because our elected officals in the state legislator refuse to spend a dime on education...You people make me laugh, your so distrusting of the school district, but not of your right wing, tea party, slash and burn polictians at the state house...let's turn the coin over and see how many of you would complain if there were a levy on farmers and ranchers....not a one! Once again, the great state of Idaho that ranks number #50 in the funding of public education speaks again!!!

If it were left up to you and your right wing conserative policitians, the children of this district would be in schools that were literally falling apart....wait a second, that's what they are going to school in now!

HAHA to all you nay saying tea baggers, you lost! Common sense won over in the end!

I find the mentality of some in this community disturbing.

To write a blank check to people with no solid plan---is not responsible or something to be proud of. It is really pretty shameful. Would you hand a complete stranger your checkbook with signed, blank checks? Of course not. But with this levy, that is just what was done---AGAIN.

I myself, find this sad. There is no accountability. This is what you are teaching your children. So, there are 800 (plus) people in this community who will vote yes on ANYTHING (contrary to Kelly's numbers) and 13,000 who vote for NOTHING.

Common sense prevails/won over? That is one of the dumbest statements ever. And even with this levy, the schools will be falling down around us because the MHSD will continue to abuse and misuse their funding. That is the sad reality. However, McMurtrey, his wife, Mr. Gilbert, Mr. Ogborn and the techers can feel good today---"common sense won over in the end."

This is a WIN for our children in the district...nothing like having your child attend school in a state that is DEAD LAST in funding of public education....

To Old Guy...what planet are you living on?? Do you really think district employees (teachers) are just loaded with $$$$$$...seriously...this state once again ranks as one of the lowest in teacher pay...

Let's make a comparison....the starting salary of a teacher with a both a BA and Masters Degree (6 years of school) in Idaho; $29,915 the national average is $35,672.

Now the starting salary of a farmer/rancher: $69,000. How about a state legislator who works only three months out of the year in Idaho

$16,116/year, plus $122/day for members establishing second residence in Boise. $49/day if no second residence is established and up to $25/day travel (V) set by Compensation Commission

that's an additonal $4,400 ($49) for each day in session as well as a added $25 a day for travel while in session, that is another $ 2,250 with a grand total of $22,766 for 90 days of work...each representative gets an additional $150 a day for additional days over 90 if in session.

At the same time, teachers salary for 90 days is $7,300 or $2,400 a month. It cost on average for a moderate 4-year state college education :$91,000 now lets add another $28,000 to $36,000 for a Masters Degree...total low end cost of education for a teacher with a Masters Degree (6 years of school): $119,304. It would take a Idaho teacher four years of a full salary to pay off the cost of college for their profession....

Hey, Old Guy, keep your head buried in the sand!

Dumbfounded---

And I am sure that the levy will change the funding position (not). Nor will it improve the quality of education kids in this town will obtain.

This levy is a form of welfare for the MHSD. As long as they get this money, they will never do better than what they are doing now. There is no incentive to change or do better or to be accountable.

It was also very kind of the school district to quit school at 1:30 for the day so the employees could go vote. Also, why is there no current information (Payroll) on the SD 193 web site. The last posted is July 13?

I was amazed at the number of people around town yesterday that were unaware that this vote was even taking place. I have to wonder if there had been more advertising done, would the vote have turned out differently?

Dumbfounded,

I did not mean the teachers and other employees are highly paid. I know a few of them and know of the struggles. I was meaning those that work at the district office that cannot seem to forecast a budget nor even draft a plan to meet current fiscal constraints. When asked how much money was needed the answer was we don't know but since we asked for $2.7M last time, let's ask for that again. Expalin how a person that makes approx $95K/year cannot seem know what monies are needed for the future? Even the federal and state governments have to forecast a budget based on not knowing exactly how much monies will be avaialable. Also explain to us how MHSD has no exact plan for the monies yet other districts do. Once asked for and received a levy for $27M over 20+ years and it is to build new buildings. Riddle my why Batman? And my head is out of the sand and this was not a win for the children but a win for a few select in the MHSD.

Actually OldGuy, Twin Falls asked and won a 75 million dollar levy over 25 years.

OpinionMissy is soooooo whinny, she really has issues.

I was amazed yesterday at the number of people that I spoke with who were unaware that the vote wast taking place. I wonder if we had advertised this event better....would we have had a better turn out and would we have gotten a different result?

Samspade,

I stand corrected. My point was not the amount as much as the district had a plan for the money not we might be short money, we don't know how much money so we will ask for the same amount we already have. MHSD did not even have a plan on the chance the levy failed. It still seems to me that many were unaware of the vote. I spoke to many people I know and 2 out of 5 were unaware of the vote and hardly anyone knew what MHSD planned to do with the money.

Dumbfounded,

The teachers and school administrators choose to be where they are, they are not being held captive. That argument is invalid. If they are not happy with their pay and benefits they are free to go elsewhere. Are you happy with the quality of education that the children of this community are receiving? Something has to be done to send the message that we are not content with the status quo; we are not receiving the quality of the service we are paying for.

samspade,

The Twin Falls school district asked for a 75 million dollar bond, not a levy. The difference is how they are paid for, a levy is paid for with property tax and a bond can be paid for in any manner the available. It could be parking meter revenue, sales tax, gas tax or a combination of revenues. Bonds also come with interest payments.

Dumb,

If you don't like it here why don't you move? Just saying, your complaining isn't helping. Also the vote should have been held in November and not snuck in in March. The lies and dirty tricks are one reason people don't forget. The problem is the "temporary" levy isn't so temporary anymore.

We are willing to pay for our children to be educated but that does not mean we are willing to sign a check "for services rendered." We want an invoice. If the current school board is unwilling to perform its duties, there are plenty of contenders that can.

The holding of the referendum at this odd date was ill advised as witnessed by the low turnout especially if the goal is to involve the people. As it was, most people had no idea there was even a vote called for.