The School District 2 board talked about the possibility of running a bond issue or a mill levy in the spring of 2025.
Billings Public Schools trustees will not make a decision until January.
Voters rejected mill levies for the elementary and high school districts in May.
“It takes a huge effort to pass a mill levy in Billings,” said Scott McCulloch, school board chair. “And that effort depends on the goodwill of folks in the community willing to support an effort like that.”
McCulloch is among the trustees who favor regularly presenting mill levies and bond issues and letting the voters decide.
“If you don't run it every year, then you don't know how the public feels about it,” said McCulloch, who also says his view may be in the minority on the board.
But some of those commenting agreed with him.
They talked about the challenge of overcoming opposition to adding taxes and the need to spend time building up public trust.
“Are we going to set a course that says we will every year ask the local folks for a contribution?” McCulloch asked. “Or will we set a course that says we'll respond to what we perceive the appetite in the community is.”
And some trustees raised concerns about running a levy or a bond in the spring of 2025.
“I think that it would just become habit and they would just check no whether we need it or not,” said Jennifer Hoffman, school trustee.
And superintendent Dr. Erwin Garcia says while he would like to go to the voters, it may be the wrong time.
“I don’t agree that we have to run a levy or a bond this upcoming Spring, for various reasons,” Garcia said. “So after we got obliterated on the last 70-30, nothing has changed.”
Garcia said it cost the district about $107,000 to run the mill levies earlier this year.
“By not running levies, essentially, we're saying no for every taxpayer for, every voting citizen,” said Teresa Larsen.
“We have a vote on, I hope next month on the issue,” McCulloch said.
