Voters in Kalispell have passed a levy on high school that will provide much needed financial relief to Kalispell Public Schools (KPS). This was a special election where over 20,000 people turned out to vote as the school district was facing a budget deficit of millions of dollars.
Close to $3 million will be generated by the levy and will save more than 100 course offerings in the high school and over 20 teaching positions from being cut. In addition, students will have a wider selection of courses in areas such as the trades, the arts, and agriculture, and benefit from smaller class sizes.
The benefits of such levies for students and the greater community can be made known with poster printing.
The superintendent of KPS, Matt Jensen, expressed his optimism and relief about passing of the levy. He said that the school district will now be able to move forward with new networks of support and new momentum.
The funding will also open more opportunities for students to engage with local businesses in work-based learning as many of the classes that will be offered will lead to various internships. Jensen added that the school district can now focus on ensuring that the funding supports such internships and other meaningful opportunities for students as the levy will be collected on a regular basis.
