Who benefits from the D93 supplemental levy

Bonneville School District 93 has decided to move forward with a supplemental levy for the August 28 election. It is for $5.8 million each year for the next two years. A levy is a general fund that pays for the operation of the school district, and what the state does not reimburse for.

That might include salaries, supplies, equipment, and utilities. In District 93’s case, it includes maintaining P.E. and music classes.

“Gives some of the students opportunities they may not have,” said Jason Lords, the director of curriculum and instruction for District 93. “Not every student is going to be able to learn music, learn to read notes. On the P.E. side of it, it also helps those students be introduced to be able to throw and to be able to different things.”

Music and physical education are two programs that some might say are important for students and their success in school.

“We had a person that was hired that would run those classes for the elementary students,” Lords said. “With our budget cuts in 2008 and 2009, those school years, that was one of things that went away.”

According to District 93 chief financial and operations officer, Guy Wangsgard, 2008’s recession affected the school districts curriculum.

“The funding of course cut lot’s of agencies, and so we’re pretty much back to where we were in 2008 levels,” Wangsgard said. “But that doesn’t count for inflation. We’re still behind, but certainly making some progress.”

The levy two years ago added expenses for opening the new Thunder Ridge High School. It also brought back music and physical education specialists to the elementary schools.

“Another thing that we did was give schools more money for supplies,” Wansgsard said. “They don’t have to ask parents and students to pay as much as they have with registration costs and so forth. We’re trying to get to the point where we don’t ask for that.”

Wangsgard says that the supplemental levy for this upcoming August election won’t add anything new, just continue on what they have done in the past.

District 93 will be meeting for a board executive session meeting Wednesday at 7 p.m. in the district board room. The supplemental levy is not on the agenda.