On Thursday, August 23rd, the Jeffco Public Schools Board of Education voted to place two initiatives on the November 2018 ballot. The first is a mill levy override, which would provide additional financial resources to support district operations, and the second is a bond, which would be dedicated to facilities improvements and upgrades. Additionally, Colorado Amendment 73 will appear on the November 2018 ballot - it is a proposed amendment to the state constitution that would raise additional funds for public education, pre-kindergarten - 12th grade by way of an income tax increase.
I encourage all D’Evelyn families to thoughtfully consider the implications of these three proposed measures facing Jeffco voters in November. There are many resources available to gather additional information. I have included several links for your consideration as well as a broad overview of the nature and details of the proposals. For general information about the proposed ballot measures and district funding needs, please visit this website. The Board approved the mill levy override for $33 million. The mill levy is a voter-approved property tax. The money generated by the mill levy override will be used for ongoing expenses and needs, such as attracting and retaining quality teachers and staff, increasing school safety and security along with mental health supports, expanding school choice options, and improving classroom materials and technology. For the mill levy override valued at $33 million, property owners would see a property tax increase of $2.10/month per $100,000 in residential value. To learn more from Jeffco Schools about the mill levy override, please visit this website. The Board approved bond measure seeks $567 million for capital construction projects. Like the mill levy override, bonds are voter-approved, but the bond approval allows borrowing funds that the school district can invest in capital improvements, new buildings, building additions, and renovations. The average school building in Jeffco is 50 years old. For the bond measure valued at $567 million, property owners would see a property tax increase of $1.81/month per $100,000 in residential value. To learn more about the bond measure, please visit this website. Like all schools in Jeffco, D’Evelyn Junior/Senior High School would receive improvements and upgrades as a result of the bond passing. On the following link, you can see the potential improvements our school would gain with additional resources generated by this bond: D’Evelyn capital improvements. The funds generated by the mill levy override and bond measure are both subject to a citizen oversight committee and annual external audits. The funds cannot be used for central administration staffing. One additional ballot measure for voter consideration is the proposed Amendment 73, named “Great Schools, Thriving Communities”, which will also appear on the November 2018 ballot. Amendment 73 is a state constitutional amendment that would generate $1.6 billion statewide for Pre-kindergarten - 12 public education by way of increasing income personal and corporate income taxes. Jeffco Public Schools expects to receive a significant increase in funding should Amendment 73 pass - approximately an addition $1,600 per student for each school year after passage. To learn more about Amendment 73, please visit this website. Comments are closed.
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