Two Blaine County School District board members made an emergency trip to Boise Thursday afternoon to fight a pair of House bills that would slash local funding for school operation and maintenance costs.
The bills—HB 678 and HB 679—are designed to provide property tax relief across the state by cutting school funding. But in Blaine County the bills' benefits are hard to find.
HB 678 would reduce property taxes by eliminating $125 million used to fund school operation and maintenance costs. HB 679 is designed to make up for the loss by raising the state's sales tax a half-percent.
But Blaine County is not eligible to receive funding created by a state sales tax—basically because of its high level of wealth—which means taxpayers wouldn't be given a break and the Blaine County School District would be left high and dry.
"We won't get any money," Jim Lewis, Superintendent of the Blaine County School District, said Thursday en-route to Boise. "Both our kids and taxpayers are losers on this."
The House Revenue and Taxation Committee on Wednesday voted to send both bills to the full House, where they will be debated and likely passed today.
But Rep. Wendy Jaquet, D-Ketchum, said she's "pretty confident it will all be fixed" in the Senate.
"This is just the House, and the House is less deliberative than the Senate," Jaquet added. "The Senate is more of a modifier and would be more concerned about fairness and equity.
"We tried our hardest on the House side and we'll be working with the Senators to make sure equity is restored for the Blaine District."
The Senate is expected to review the bills by the middle of next week.
Lewis and Mike Chatterton, treasurer of the Blaine County School District, had plans to meet with Jaquet and Sen. Clint Stennett, D-Ketchum, on Thursday afternoon to discuss the situation.
"It's critical that our people know about this," Lewis said. "It's a very one-sided bill that would effect us for a long time."
