by Jon Konen, Superintendent, Stevensville School District
Our students deserve our investment: safety, stewardship, and real-world preparation. When local voters hear the phrase “Technology Levy,” it is easy to picture classrooms full of screens or students on individual devices all day. But that isn’t what this request is about. State law simply requires us to use the name “Technology Levy” on the ballot. In reality, this request is about basic physical safety, secure buildings, paper-based learning tools, and protecting our local tax dollars.
First, traditional learning comes first in our district. Technology enhances books, paper, and pencils; it doesn’t replace them. In fact, these funds directly maintain the high-capacity print infrastructure our teachers use daily to print paper curriculum materials.
Second, modern school security requires hardware. Levy funds pay for commercial electronic door locks, secure key-card entry systems, perimeter cameras, and direct emergency communications with local first responders.
Third, passing this levy protects our teaching staff and class sizes. Schools are legally and operationally required to maintain secure doors, network servers, and basic safety systems. If a dedicated technology levy does not pass, we must pull that money directly out of our General Fund. Keeping tech costs in a dedicated tech fund ensures our General Fund stays focused on maintaining small class sizes, keeping teachers in classrooms, and preserving core programs.
Whether our graduates head straight into local trades, healthcare, agriculture, construction, or college, baseline digital literacy (ie…reading digital blueprints, managing spreadsheets, or navigating electronic records) is a basic requirement to earn a good living in modern Montana.
We respect local property owners and know every tax dollar matters. That is why we cut our original recommendation nearly in half, asking only for what is necessary to cover safe and secure essentials ($75,000 annually per district).
This is a replacement levy, not a broad expansion. For a home assessed at $300,000, the tax impact is just $6.39 per year for the Elementary District and $4.62 per year for the High School District…a combined total of about $11.00 a year (less than $1 a month).
If you remember only one thing on election day, remember this: if this levy fails, the funds required to keep our doors locked, servers running, and facilities safe will come directly out of the budget that pays our teachers. Let’s keep technology funded in the tech budget so our General Fund can stay focused on our kids and educators.
Please vote on November 3, 2026.
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