School district proposes sales tax instead of bond

An Idaho school district says a sales tax would be an easier way to fund school constructions than trying to pass a bond.

The Lewiston Independent School District is proposing that idea at a regional school board meeting in Rigby Tuesday night.

Under the proposal, there would be a sales tax instead of a property tax.

School districts says the challenge with passing a bond is that a property tax increase varies depending on how much land someone owns.

But a sales tax would be the same for everyone.

Bonneville School District 93 has failed to pass a bond for a new high school three times. D-93 says the sales tax idea makes sense, but it might not be a solution for our area because there are two school districts in the county.

“To impose a sales tax on a county where we will have some patrons from 91 come to Ammon to purchase at department stores and purchase gasoline or whatever they may be doing to impose that tax on them when they’re not even in our school district,” said Brian McBride, school board chairman of D-93.