Idaho
N. Idaho schools most dependent on local dollars
Of the 25 supplemental school levies on the ballot in November statewide, only three failed, all in North Idaho.
Boundary County, West Bonner County, and Lakeland were the only school districts to see their levies fail. Boundary County’s levy would have had the lowest tax burden among the 25, at no added cost to taxpayers. West Bonner’s levy, at $23 per $100,000 of property, had the second-lowest burden.
All three rank in the top 20 Idaho school districts most reliant on supplemental levies, based on the percentage of their general budget funded by levy dollars. Data shows that 19 of the top 20 districts most in need of levies are in North Idaho. West Bonner County is fourth, Lakeland is 12th, and Boundary County is 19th.
BCSD Superintendent Jan Bayer said that, for North Idaho schools, supplemental levies should be considered “fundamental” levies due to the region’s challenges with teacher retention, demographic changes, and high costs associated with rural areas.
“We have to offer competitive wages with Sandpoint, and they’re competing with Newport,” she said. “Overall, North Idaho is competing with Washington for the job market.”
Fifty-eight percent of Boundary County’s levy would have gone to salaries and benefits.
In Coeur d’Alene, 40% of levy dollars go to salaries and benefits. Coeur d’Alene Public Schools Superintendent Shon Hocker said that teachers can earn $20,000 or more annually simply by crossing the state border to work in Washington.
North Idaho’s rising cost of living, driven by tourism and an influx of out-of-state residents, adds to teachers’ financial strain. What’s more, newcomers are often the ones voting against the levies, Bayer said, adding that people moving to Boundary County tend to be older and without school-age children.
“There’s an anti-tax movement that’s hurting us because so many people moving into Boundary, West Bonner and Lakeland are coming from states that taxed heavily for education — Oregon, Washington and California — places where they didn’t have a vote,” Bayer said.
The remoteness that makes North Idaho an attractive destination for out-of-staters also makes its schools more expensive to operate.
Bus drivers can travel as much as 700 miles a day in Boundary County, according to a report from Idaho Education News. For athletic and scholastic competitions, the closest school is about 30 miles away, and to the more urban areas in South Idaho, a drive could take ten hours. A new bus would have been purchased with Boundary County’s levy.
Similarly, shipping costs for school cafeteria food add up over long distances.
South Idaho schools also have greater access to professional psychologists and speech pathologists. In North Idaho, those types of services become more expensive and less effective because they are only offered online.
Overall, maintenance and operations of North Idaho schools come with a hefty price tag. School districts in the region are far and away the most dependent on turning to local dollars for funds. Those funds are also the most likely to get rejected.
“This is how Idaho funds public schools, whether people like it or not,” Bayer said. “The only way we can get more money is to go local.”
The results are in for the Idaho Lottery’s draw games on Monday, April 20, 2026.
Here’s a look at winning numbers for each game on April 20.
Winning Powerball numbers from April 20 drawing
09-17-36-47-64, Powerball: 26, Power Play: 3
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 3 numbers from April 20 drawing
Day: 9-5-5
Night: 1-3-9
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 numbers from April 20 drawing
Day: 9-3-4-7
Night: 6-9-2-8
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Lotto America numbers from April 20 drawing
05-07-31-41-43, Star Ball: 07, ASB: 02
Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Idaho Cash numbers from April 20 drawing
05-12-27-33-45
Check Idaho Cash payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from April 20 drawing
19-37-40-41-53, Bonus: 02
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
When are the Idaho Lottery drawings held ?
- Powerball: 8:59 p.m. MT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 9 p.m. MT on Tuesday and Friday.
- Pick 3: 1:59 p.m. (Day) and 7:59 p.m. (Night) MT daily.
- Pick 4: 1:59 p.m. (Day) and 7:59 p.m. (Night) MT daily.
- Lucky For Life: 8:35 p.m. MT Monday and Thursday.
- Lotto America: 9 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- 5 Star Draw: 8 p.m. MT on Tuesday and Friday.
- Idaho Cash: 8 p.m. MT daily.
- Millionaire for Life: 9:15 p.m. MT daily.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a USA Today editor. You can send feedback using this form.
I remember watching a documentary about Idaho’s wildlands. A narrator said there were probably many parts of the state where no human being has ever set foot. I believe that, but I stay relatively close to the highways. If I were 30 years younger, I would probably enjoy exploring the back country, but today, unless a plane takes me in and out, it’s not happening. I can’t say definitively that there is one spot that I find better than others. We’re surrounded by beautiful terrain, however. One place keeps calling me back.
Like a Scene from a Legendary Movie
When I go over the mountain between Gooding and Fairfield, I take time to stop at the overlook above the Camas Prairie. It reminds me of a scene in Exodus, where the Paul Newman character takes an American woman to look across a flat plain leading to Mount Tabor. He explains that’s the site where Deborah gathered her armies. It makes me feel there is something godly about the Camas Prairie. I keep going back to this spot. Sometimes I take along a folding chair and sit and look at the world below.
Slow Down and See the Work of the Creator
Fairfield may be nothing more than a blip as people speed down Route 20, but it’s their loss. On the other side of the highway is some of the prettiest country in Idaho. It’s going to be a lot less lush this spring, but drought conditions haven’t been nearly as severe in the central highlands. But if I’m granted a few more years by the Almighty, I plan to see the prairie for many more springs.
‘Miserable’: McCall 4th of July Getaway Gets Roasted
What was once a great little summer escape has become a total headache according to the internet
Gallery Credit: Mateo, 103.5 KISS FM
The results are in for the Idaho Lottery’s draw games on Sunday, April 19, 2026.
Here’s a look at winning numbers for each game on April 19.
Winning Pick 3 numbers from April 19 drawing
Day: 9-5-1
Night: 8-0-6
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 numbers from April 19 drawing
Day: 2-7-0-3
Night: 4-3-3-3
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Idaho Cash numbers from April 19 drawing
15-28-31-38-45
Check Idaho Cash payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from April 19 drawing
32-42-52-53-55, Bonus: 05
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
When are the Idaho Lottery drawings held ?
- Powerball: 8:59 p.m. MT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 9 p.m. MT on Tuesday and Friday.
- Pick 3: 1:59 p.m. (Day) and 7:59 p.m. (Night) MT daily.
- Pick 4: 1:59 p.m. (Day) and 7:59 p.m. (Night) MT daily.
- Lucky For Life: 8:35 p.m. MT Monday and Thursday.
- Lotto America: 9 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- 5 Star Draw: 8 p.m. MT on Tuesday and Friday.
- Idaho Cash: 8 p.m. MT daily.
- Millionaire for Life: 9:15 p.m. MT daily.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a USA Today editor. You can send feedback using this form.
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