School election to be held by mail

The school election that will decide two general fund levies and two trustee positions will be held by mail ballot on the previously scheduled date, May 5. The levies break down to $346,146 for the Bigfork Elementary District and $257,422 for the Bigfork High School District and would support increases to staff salaries and benefits and would allow the school to increase course offerings.

Property taxes for residents of the elementary district would increase by $30.48 annually on a $200,000 house, while those living in the high school district would see an $18.13 annual increase for a property of the same value.

The district has made small increases to base staff pay over the years, but not enough to keep up with inflation, cost of living increases, Bigfork Schools business manager Lacey Porrovecchio wrote in a Feb. 10 email. Bigfork’s starting salary is comparable to schools in West Valley, $2,000 less than schools in Kalispell and $5,000 less than Polson.

The election will also decide two trustee positions, representing the elementary school district. The high school trustee election was canceled since the number of applicants was equal to the number of open positions.

Ballots can be returned to the Bigfork School District Office at 600 Commerce Street between 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. prior to election day and between 12 p.m. and 8 p.m. on election day, May 5. Voters who may be absent from the district during the time of the election can vote in person at the election administrator’s office once ballots are available and until noon the day before ballots are scheduled to be mailed. They may also make a writing request that the ballot be mailed to another address.

Voters can register up to and on election day at the county election office located at 40 11th Street W #230 Kalispell for Flathead County and at106 4th Ave E Polson for Lake County. Late registrant ballots can be picked up at the Bigfork School District Office.