A look at what each project is estimated to cost, and how those pieces add up
across the full Future Moscow plan.
Projects Under Proposal — Estimated Investment$64 Million
The combined estimated cost of the three projects funded by the proposed Plant Facility Levy. Every figure below is a current planning-level estimate and is subject to change as design and bidding proceed.
Explore the Financial Detail
This page is the overview. Each area below goes deeper on a specific part of the plan.
The $55M Future High School Conversion includes the new Performing Arts Center, the Moscow Medical Professional & Career Technical Center (MMPACT), CTE expansion, and athletic field lighting on the East Campus. The $6M Russell Renovation includes ADA compliance and elevator access, the District Office relocating to the second floor, Paradise Creek Regional High School on the first floor, updated parking, and exploration of a potential sale or long-term public-private partnership for a portion of the grounds.
Future Projects (Phase 2) — a new middle school at Oylear Field and a new South Elementary School — are not funded by this measure. Each would require separate voter approval in a future election. See Future Middle School and South Elementary.
Why estimates change. These figures reflect current planning-level
projections. As each project moves through design and bidding, costs may shift
based on material prices, construction timelines, and final project scope. Updated
figures will be posted here as they become available.
How These Projects Are Funded
Two sources fund the projects under proposal.
Requires Voter ApprovalUp to $9.37M/yr
7-Year Plant Facility Levy
Up to $9,370,000 per year for seven years, for the fiscal years beginning July 1, 2027 and ending June 30, 2034. Collected in two equal halves each January and July. This is the measure on the November 3, 2026 ballot.
Identified · No New Taxes$12M
District Savings
District savings already set aside, available immediately upon passage. No additional cost to taxpayers — these are funds the district has accumulated through disciplined budgeting.
How the pieces fit. District savings of $12 million are applied first, funding the Russell renovation and Lena Whitmore HVAC replacement and beginning work on the high school conversion. Levy collections then fund the conversion over the term of the levy. Construction is phased to match available funds — the district does not borrow against future collections. Levy proceeds beyond the cost of the named projects remain available for other plant facility purposes as permitted by law, including contingency for construction cost increases.
A Plant Facility Levy allows the district to fund construction through a lease-to-purchase
structure that is not considered debt under Idaho law — meaning it does not require
a two-thirds voter supermajority, and it does not tie up the district’s State
School Facilities Fund offset the way a traditional bond would.
Plant Facility Levy
Proposed · 7 Years
Total Project Cost$64,000,000
District Savings Applied$12,000,000
Amount Borrowed$0
Interest Paid$0
Annual LevyUp to $9,370,000/yr
Term7 years, ending June 30, 2034
Voter Threshold60%
Total Taxpayer Cost 7 years × $9.37M$65,590,000
30-Year Bond
For Comparison Only
Total Project Cost$64,000,000
District Savings Applied$12,000,000
Amount Bonded$52,000,000
Interest Rate4.50%
Est. Annual Payment~$3,193,000/yr
Term30 years, ending 2057
Voter Threshold66.67% (two-thirds)
Total Taxpayer Cost Principal + interest~$95,780,000
~$30 Million
Less total taxpayer cost with the Plant Facility Levy than with a 30-year bond for the same projects — because the levy pays as it goes and incurs no interest.
Note on these calculations. The Plant Facility Levy funds construction from collections as they arrive — the district borrows nothing and pays no interest. The bond column illustrates the same $52 million financed over 30 years at an assumed 4.50%. A general obligation bond would also require a two-thirds supermajority rather than 60%. Figures do not include any reduction from the State School Facilities Fund, which lowers the amount collected from property owners. Planning estimates only; confirm with the district’s municipal advisor before publishing.
What This Means for Your Home
Idaho's Homeowner's Exemption reduces the taxable value of an owner-occupied
primary residence before any school levy rate is applied. Here's the math,
step by step.
Start with your home's assessed value.
Subtract the Idaho Homeowner's Exemption — 50% of your assessed value, capped at $125,000. The result is your taxable value.
Divide your taxable value by $100,000.
Multiply by the levy rate (in dollars per $100,000) to get your estimated annual tax for that levy.
Example: A Median-Value Moscow Home
Estimated Median Home Value*$450,000
Homeowner's Exemption (50%, capped at $125,000)− $125,000
Taxable Value$325,000
New Plant Facility Levy Rate$280 per $100,000
Estimated Added Annual Cost~$910 / year
Estimated Monthly Cost~$76 / month
*$450,000 is used as an illustrative home value. Your actual cost depends on your
property’s taxable assessed value as determined by the Latah County Assessor.
Look up your property →
How School Facilities Funds Reduce the Cost
Idaho’s School Facilities Fund sends state dollars to districts specifically to
offset local property tax levies for facilities. It is funded by sales tax, online sales
tax, and lottery proceeds — not property taxes. For the 2026–27 year Moscow
School District received $1.91 million, applied directly to reduce what
property owners are billed.
Applied at that level across the seven-year levy term, the fund would offset roughly
$13 million. These distributions are continuous but remain subject to
authorization and appropriation by the Idaho Legislature each session.
How the School Facilities Fund works →
Historical Levy Rates
Even as the district has taken on new capital projects over the past decade,
the total property tax rate has come down — falling from
$750 per $100,000 of assessed value in 2016 to $352 today, a decline of more
than half.
$750
$720
$701
$643
$706
$682
$621
$480
$386
$363
$352
20162017201820192020202120222023202420252026
Chart shows values above a $1.0B baseline to highlight growth. Source: Piper Sandler, Moscow School District No. 281 — Levy Review and Future Planning, January 28, 2026. Total rate per $100,000 of taxable assessed value (Supplemental M&O, Bond Levy, and All Other Levies combined).
The district’s supplemental levy amount has not changed since 2018.
The dollar amount the district collects through its supplemental levy has remained exactly
the same each year since 2018, despite inflation in the cost of goods, services, wages, and
construction over that period. The rate shown above has fallen because the district’s
total taxable value has grown, not because the district is collecting more.
$632
Even with the proposed Plant Facility Levy added — today's $352 rate plus
$280 — the combined rate would remain below every year from 2016 through 2021.
District Growth & Tax Base
The tax rate needed to fund the Plant Facility Levy doesn't just depend on the
dollar amount collected — it depends on the total taxable value of property
across the district. That value has grown substantially over the past decade,
which is part of why the rate above has been able to fall even as the district
has invested in its buildings.
11.96%5-Year Compound Annual Growth Rate
6.16%20-Year Compound Annual Growth Rate
$1.36B
$1.43B
$1.47B
$1.62B
$1.78B
$1.90B
$1.97B
$2.62B
$3.03B
$3.23B
$3.34B
20162017201820192020202120222023202420252026
Chart shows values above a $1.0B baseline to highlight growth. Source: Piper Sandler, Moscow School District No. 281 — Levy Review and Future Planning, January 28, 2026. Net taxable value plus urban renewal value.
A larger tax base means a lower rate for the same dollar amount.
As the district's total taxable value grows, the same annual levy payment
translates into a smaller "per $100,000" tax rate for individual property
owners — which is part of why the levy's estimated tax impact can stay
modest even as the district takes on a large capital plan.
Looking Ahead — Future Projects
Phase 2 — Not Funded by This MeasurePlanned, Not Funded
Two projects remain in the district’s long-range facilities plan: a new middle school at district-owned Oylear Field, and a new South Elementary School to replace West Park. Neither is funded by the November 2026 measure, and each would require its own separate voter approval in a future election. Design work is substantially complete for both, and the Oylear Field site is district-owned and reserved. They are shown on this site so the community can see the full long-range plan.
Future Middle School →South Elementary →
The Bottom Line for Moscow Taxpayers
About $25 million comes from sources other than the local levy.
District savings already set aside, plus Idaho’s School Facilities Fund, together reduce what Moscow property owners are asked to contribute toward the $64 million in projects.
District Savings
$12M
Already set aside. Zero new cost to taxpayers.
State Facilities Fund
~$13M
$1.91M/yr over the levy term. Sales tax and lottery revenue, not property tax.
Total Non-Levy
~$25M
Roughly 39% of the $64M total.
State School Facilities Fund distribution was $1.91 million for 2026–27 and is subject to annual state appropriation. It is applied against the district’s combined facility tax, lowering what property owners pay. How the State Facilities Fund works →
Future Moscow is a facilities planning initiative of Moscow School District #281.
All cost estimates are preliminary and subject to change.
Questions? Contact Shawn Tiegs, Superintendent, at stiegs@msd281.org or 208-892-1139.
The following information is required by Section 34-914, Idaho Code:
The estimated average annual cost to the taxpayer on the proposed levy is a tax of $280 per $100,000 of taxable assessed value, per year, based on current conditions.