The levy scorecard: two school levies early reports called approved are short in the state count

Six local tax measures were on Kootenai County ballots Nov. 3. Three are passing. Three are not, and two of those three were reported as approved in election coverage last week.

The difference is where the voters live. Kootenai School District 274 and the Plummer-Worley Joint School District reach into Benewah County, and the Spirit Lake Fire Protection District reaches into Bonner County. The Idaho Secretary of State's results add every county together. As of Nov. 12, here is where each measure stands. Kootenai County canvassed its count that morning; its numbers are now official and did not change. The combined two-county totals stay unofficial until Benewah and Bonner counties certify and the state canvasses by Nov. 24.

PASSING

- Coeur d'Alene School District 271: $30.25 million a year for two years. 20,984 yes (58.16%), 15,096 no. It replaces the current $25 million levy, according to the Coeur d'Alene Press, and runs July 1, 2027, to June 30, 2029.
- Northern Lakes Fire Protection District: $4.5 million a year for two years. 13,527 yes (70.45%), 5,674 no. Chief Kevin Croffoot has said the main need is staffing.
- Post Falls School District 273: $6,783,098 a year for two years. 10,045 yes (54.95%), 8,236 no. Superintendent Anna Wilson said the money keeps the school resource officer program with Post Falls police.

FAILING

- Kootenai School District 274 (Harrison): $1,984,618 a year for two years. 484 yes (43.92%), 618 no. In Kootenai County alone it lost 467 to 605; Benewah County voted 17 to 13 in favor.
- Plummer-Worley Joint School District 44: $893,860 a year for two years. 920 yes (48.32%), 984 no. Kootenai County voters approved it, 395 to 375. Benewah County voters turned it down, 609 to 525, and that decided it.
- Spirit Lake Fire Protection District: a permanent override to $785,000 a year, up from about $477,000 now, the Press reported. 2,289 yes (53.02%), 2,028 no. A permanent override needs two-thirds, 66.67%. Most voters said yes in both Kootenai (1,058 to 817) and Bonner (1,231 to 1,211) counties; it still fell well short.

WHAT WAS REPORTED

The Coeur d'Alene Press wrote Nov. 4 that levies in the Kootenai, Plummer-Worley and St. Maries school districts were approved. The state's combined count shows the Kootenai and Plummer-Worley levies failing. KXLY reported the Spirit Lake Fire levy failed.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT

- Kootenai County canvassed Nov. 12 and its numbers did not change. The state canvass deadline is Nov. 24. The two-county totals can still move, but the Kootenai 274 margin is 134 votes and the Plummer-Worley margin is 64.
- A district whose levy fails can go back to voters at a later election. We found no announcement yet from either school district about a next step.

HOW WE COUNTED

Every number above is from the Idaho Secretary of State's results site, read Nov. 10 and again Nov. 12, 2026. Percentages are the share of yes votes among all yes and no votes on that measure.