November 2026 Supplemental Levy Information
Dear Pirate Family,
As we begin the new school year, I want to share information about an important item on the November 3, 2026 ballot, as well as an opportunity for our families and staff to register to vote.
The Payette School District will have a two-year supplemental levy of $1.5 million per year on the November ballot. Our role as a school district is not to tell anyone how to vote. Our role is to provide accurate information, explain why we identified these projects, and encourage our community to participate in the process. I have attached a PDF brochure with more detail and pictures for visual reference.
Why These Projects?
Many of our facilities have served Payette students for generations and are showing their age.
The Payette High School Dome is now 52 years old, and its gym floor, bleachers, lighting, locker rooms, and restrooms need significant updates. The proposal would address those areas, including safer spectator access and improved lighting and energy efficiency.
Several of our stadium light poles are well beyond their expected service life, and some visibly sway during strong winds and storms. The proposal would replace the aging football and baseball poles and fixtures, move electrical service underground, and add lighting to the softball field.
At Payette Primary, the proposal includes a secure entrance vestibule and replacement of playground equipment that is approximately 35 years old. It also includes reconditioning of the MMS football and soccer field and the PHS track soccer field.
We identified these projects by reviewing the condition and age of our facilities, safety needs, and the spaces our students and community use every day.
Community input also helped shape the proposal. In July, the District conducted a randomized telephone survey of registered voters. Each project ultimately included in the levy received support from a majority of the registered voters surveyed. That feedback helped the Payette School District Board of Trustees balance our most pressing facility needs with the priorities identified by our community. The survey does not determine the election outcome, but it provided the Board with important community input as we developed the proposal.
What Is Included?
The proposed levy is a community facilities investment of $1.5 million per year, for two years:
- Dome Gymnasium and Locker Rooms: $1.9 million
- Stadium Lights and Light Poles: $600,000
- Payette Primary Secure Entrance Vestibule: $200,000
- Payette Primary Playground Equipment: $200,000
- MMS Football/Soccer and PHS Track Soccer Field Reconditioning: $100,000
What Would It Cost?
The estimated levy rate is $121.11 per $100,000 of taxable home value after the homeowner exemption. For an average Payette home valued at $350,000, the estimated cost after the $125,000 homeowner exemption would be approximately $272.50 per year, or $22.71 per month. Individual circumstances will vary.
Your Voice Matters
Regardless of how you feel about the proposal, please participate in the process. Local decisions about our schools belong to the community, and being informed and participating in elections is an important part of having a voice in Payette's future.
To help make that easier, voter registration forms will be available in the front office of every Payette School District school and at the District Office. Any eligible voter is welcome to stop by and pick one up.
Between now and November 3, we will continue sharing factual information and answering questions. The attached brochure provides additional project details, plans, and estimated tax information.
Become informed, ask questions, register if you are eligible, and decide on November 3.
Thank you for caring about our schools, our students, and the Payette community!
Dr. Glen Croft, Ed.D.
Superintendent
Payette Joint School District #371
Office: (208) 642-9366
Email: glcroft@payetteschools.org
"Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire." -William Butler Yeats
