Bill 292

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Purpose: This is a tax relief bill – it pays off new and existing school bonds and levies.

Background: 92% of school districts in Idaho (106/115) currently have a bond or levy in order to close the gap between what is funded by the state and what is actually spent to educate students. Rising costs have increased the financial burden of districts and communities.

What This Bill Does: House Bill 292 allocates 2.25% of sales tax & excess from the state general fund to school districts to help pay off existing levies and bonds (around 100 million dollars each year for the last two years).

Funding Allocation: The amount each district receives is based on student attendance. For example, each district gets a specific amount per student who attends school regularly.
- In 2023, Buhl received $472,000
- In 2024, Buhl received $647,000
- In 2025, we expect a similar amount

The Challenge: The bill comes with restrictions on how the funds can be used:
- Paying off school bonds
- Paying off school levies
- Construction of new a new facility, renovation, or maintenance needs
- Funding new bonds and levies

Buhl doesn’t currently have any bonds or levies, so—per the law—the funds that have been received have be placed in a bank account and used for maintenance projects as they arise. But they can't be used for what we need.

Let's say that again - all funds from House Bill 292 must be used for the designated purposes, including any interest earned. This means, with no levy, Buhl's funds are locked up and can only be used for maintenance and building projects. The bill was carefully written to ensure the money can only be used for school facilities construction, renovation and maintenance, not for athletic facilities. (Sorry football fans - not even the stadium can be helped out with this money.)

The Urgency: We have another levy coming up on the ballot in May. This is our last chance to access the Bill 292 funds for the upcoming school year. This last year (2024-2025), the levy did not pass. The Buhl School District worked hard to cut unnecessary expenses, but still needed to tap its emergency reserve—about $500,000—to maintain transportation and salaries without losing staff. Unfortunately, this is not a sustainable solution. Schools operate on a “spend-then-reimburse” model, with state funds trickling in over the year, often in small amounts, and some not arriving until the following year. A healthy reserve is vital to cover upfront costs like payroll and keep the district running smoothly.

How You Can Help: If the levy fails this May, state funding from Bill 292 will be redirected - once again- into a reserve for future construction and maintenance needs. As a result, we risk losing 3 additional teaching positions, 3-4 support staff, programs, and reducing transportation. (The district already plans to cut 2 to 3 teaching positions this year to accommodate for lower enrollment. If we loose 3 more, we will be down 5 - 6 teaching positions this year. That's going to hurt.)

Passing the levy gives the District permission to spend the levy dollars on what is best for our students.

Bill 292 covers most of the levy, your estimated cost after the levy is just 24 cents per $100,000. For most Buhl families that will be around $1 per year.