Jeffco approves bond measure but money won’t go to students
by Peter Grady –
While Greeley/Evans District 6 has formed an exploratory committee about a bond issue this November, the Jeffco school district has already done so, however critics say very little funding will actually go to benefit students.
Earlier this month, the Jeffco school board voted 4-1 to put a bond and mill issue on the November 2012 ballot. The board is asking district residents for a $39 million revenue increase and a $99 million bond to increase funding to the district.
Officials claim that the district could be forced to make $43.5 million in budget cuts next year, including cutting programs and staff if voters do not approve the spending increases.
Byron Gale with Citizens for Jeffco Schools endorsed the measures saying the district needed more. “We’re eagerly awaiting the green light from the board so we can get on with the campaign,” he said. “With the right grassroots campaign I like our chances.”
However, Sheila Atwell, executive director of Jeffco Students First was skeptical that having more money would automatically mean scores would improve. “Do dollars mean better schools? I just don’t see that being the case.”
The organization noted that a key problem with the measures is that it will not go towards helping students.
“What the board won’t say is that over half ($20,000,000) of the $39,000,000 will go directly into employee retirement funds; another $5,000,000 will go to “buy back” the furlough days, leaving less than $14,000,000 to cover over $46,000,000 in projected cuts.”
We are very disappointed that the board will spend the next five months talking about money instead of student achievement,” Atwell said. “Jeffco taxpayers have spent 450 million additional dollars over the last six years, and student achievement has not gotten any better. We would prefer the board begin to talk about real innovation instead of using money as a smoke screen for the status quo.”
The group went on to say that the proposed 46 million dollars in cuts for 2013-2014 include cutting teaching positions at every level, eliminating instrumental music, outdoor lab programs and cutting librarians. Many parents at Thursday’s board meeting expressed their concern and disappointment that most of these programs are targeted in this conversation. Parents noted that rather than save money, cutting instrumental music would actually raise because more teachers would need to be hired to cover the smaller classes. Furthermore, the Outdoor Lab program has already been made self-sustaining by raising the cost for parents and requiring schools to pick up the fees.
“We would like the board to concentrate on funding the things that improve achievement; we would like to see the most exceptional teachers in Jeffco making over $100,000 a year. The proposed mill levy has no money for teacher raises and is not tied to any achievement gains,” Atwell said.
Tags: ballot, benefit, board, campaign, district, Greeley Evans, Greeley Evans District, issue, Jeffco Students First, money, month, music, organization, Outdoor Lab, right, Sheila Atwell, status, student, Thursday, year
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I grew up in Ft. Morgan and attended UNC and still have many friends there, so I do follow your news. I’m sorry Greeley Gazette, but there needs to be some clarification here. Stating that money will not go to students is false, most of the info in these quotes here are false and/or just twisted to present an anti-tax attitude. More than 20 years after having left UNC, I now have a child in Jeffco Schools and am avidly involved in Jeffco Schools as a volunteer.
I am a Republican and I like to see it all spent wisely, but….we still have to follow industry standard and look at the real facts to see how we need our local district programs funded – anyone who has driven your rural roads understands this.
PERA is a state mandate and folks who don’t like that really need to talk to state legislators – none of us in Jeffco Schools nor any of your districts in Greeley/Evans have any control over those issues. I know Greeley students and families are feeling the pinch of the state issues as well.
Jeffco Schools is looking to cut another $45 million for 2013/14 after having cut $63 million the past two years. We need the mill & bond in Jeffco Schools to try to maintain what we have for Jeffco students. For Jeffco Schools that is ensuring our students have access to music, teacher librarians, physical education, restoring two school days for our students, retaining the great teachers we have in Jeffco, maintaining already large classroom sizes, and allowing Jeffco students to have access to technology. Outdoor Lab has a sustainability plan but it’s just been put into place and volunteers are working hard to keep this program for Jeffco students, but it’s certainly not secure yet.
Jeffco Schools also has a number of critical needs in repairs and maintenance on Jeffco’s buildings – upgrading safety and environmental systems, fire protection, electrical wiring, repairing heating and air conditioning systems, fixing plumbing issues, major roof replacements for 16 buildings, water heaters that need replaced, fire pumps, roof drainage replacements. These are only the CRITICAL needs for Jeffco Schools – there will still be cuts even with the mill & bond.
For Jeffco Schools to keep our students achieving at all, we need to attempt to maintain our programs rather than continue to cut. For the average homeowner in Jeffco – we’re talking $3.06 per month.
I live in Jeffco now and I don’t know all the issues for your local district, but perhaps visiting our website http://www.supportjeffcoschools.com will give you all more tools to look at your individual situation & go forward to ensure a proper education for your community.
This is so grossly one-sided and so full of untruths it’s hardly worth commenting on. Heaven forbid you should go out of your way to find some real facts instead of twisted ones. Sheila Atwell and and her organization support privatizing ALL schools and are notorious for half-truths and warped numbers. Keep that in mind when listening to anything they say.
None of the proposed mill levy will go to teacher retirement funds, this is a lie. But if you have a problem with PERA, take it up with the state. School districts are bound by state law where PERA’s concerned.
Another gross misrepresentation of facts in this article is that the parents and community members SUPPORTING the mill/bond outweighed those opposed by at least 10 to 1, probably more.
The Outdoor Lab fund is NOT self-sustaining. Nice job there.
Facts are $65 million ($1 billion statewide) has been cut from Jeffco schools in 4 years while costs have risen exponentially. Colorado is $2,500 below average state per pupil spending and sinking.
Want facts? Visit supportjeffcoschools.com.
PERA is a problem and the truth is that the many teachers, the union and organizations such as Colo. Assoc. of School Boards lobby AGAINST any PERA reform.
Rep. DelGrosso had a bill this year that would have allowed districts to take the current employer share of PERA and ask employees to share in the increased costs.
For 2013 the rate is 16.1% for districts while employee share is at 8%. Much of the increased contribution rate for districts is to make the PERA fund solvent.
This PERA rate increase will continue until 2018 when the district rate will be 20.15%.
For every $1000 in salaries paid this means that the district will pay $201.50 to PERA. This alone is going to bankrupt many districts and any salary increases only exacerbate the problem.
Michele,
You know very well that JeffCo Students First has never expressed support for “privatizing all schools”. We have simply expressed support for raising expectations and achievement for ALL schools – this, of course, includes public schools. We encourage more choice for parents which means more charter, option and innovation schools, all of which are public schools.
Readers are encouraged to visit jeffcostudentsfirst.org where every statistic we site has a live link to the source.