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Jefferson County voters will be asked this November to approve two tax increases to benefit public schools. Together, the measures would raise $133 million for Jeffco Public Schools.
Ballot Issues 5A and 5B are what’s known as mill levy overrides, which are property tax increases to pay for educational programming. Jeffco voters last passed one in 2018 for $33 million.
How would the money from Ballot Issues 5A and 5B be spent?
Ballot Issue 5A would raise $73 million that would be split like this:
- About $54.5 million for pay increases for teachers, principals, and school support staff. A district presentation said $15 million would be used to fund already-promised pay increases, and $39.5 million could be used for future salary boosts.
- About $10 million for career and technical education classes for students.
- About $8.5 million for the district’s charter schools. State law requires that school districts share mill levy override revenue with district charter schools, which are publicly funded but independently run by nonprofit organizations.
Ballot Issue 5B would raise $60 million that would be split like this:
- About $53 million for building maintenance projects, including repairing parking lots, replacing leaky roofs, and fixing heating and cooling systems. The funding would also be used to replace aging technology and improve school security systems.
- About $7 million for the district’s charter schools.
What would Ballot Issues 5A and 5B cost taxpayers?
Property taxes would increase by about $42 per year on every $100,000 of a home’s value. For a $650,000 home, that would amount to $273 per year.
What do supporters say about Ballot Issues 5A and 5B?
Proponents say Jeffco needs this money to stave off more budget cuts and school closures.
Jeffco is the state’s second-largest district, with about 74,000 students. But its enrollment is declining, partly due to lower birth rates. Because Colorado funds its districts per student, fewer kids means fewer dollars. In addition, Jeffco voters have approved fewer mill levy overrides than other area districts, which means Jeffco can’t supplement its state funding as robustly.
Lower salaries cause Jeffco teachers to leave, supporters say. Jeffco’s average teacher salary was $84,392 last year, state data shows, ranking it fourth out of Colorado’s five largest districts.
Jeffco’s hands-on classes are popular, but space is limited. Warren Tech, the district’s career and technical education center, has a waitlist of nearly 1,500 students.
The district’s school buildings also need maintenance. Jeffco had to cancel, delay, or dismiss school early 10 times last year because of issues such as cracked pipes or power outages, the district said.
What do opponents say about Ballot Issues 5A and 5B?
Opponents say Jefferson County taxes are high enough and more money wouldn’t improve students’ academic outcomes, according to comments submitted to Jefferson County’s ballot guide. Opponents also argue that Jeffco teachers are not poorly paid.
Enrollment declines mean Jeffco schools need less money, opponents say. And they argue that fewer students means school closures are inevitable, whether the measures pass or not.
Opponents are also skeptical about how Jeffco spent the money from the last tax increase.
Melanie Asmar is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Colorado. Contact Melanie at masmar@chalkbeat.org.
