BOZEMAN — The Bozeman School District is asking voters to approve levies for more than $600,000. With elections on Tuesday, what will these levies be for, and what will happen if they don't pass?
"An operating levy is part of the general fund, and it's used to pay all of the expenses to run a school. So it's 90% salaries and benefits. We also use operating levies to pay for lights to keep the schools on or open, utilities, anything that it takes to physically keep a building open," says Director of Business Services Lacy Clark.
Clark says the district is asking for $250,000 in the elementary district and $430,000 for the high school district.
"If the levies don't pass, it's written into both of our union contracts, that will go back to the negotiation table. So that means we'll all meet in a circle and we'll open negotiations back up. We negotiate on a two-year cycle. So this will be the second year of a two-year cycle. So it's not a typical negotiation period," says Clark.
Clark says levies are typically fully supported by the Bozeman community and the last time one didn’t pass was back in the 1980s.
