Both Aurora school districts are asking voters for property tax increases to deal with more students, aging buildings and changing needs.

The plans and requests from both Aurora Public Schools and Cherry Creek School District are thoughtful, prudent and critically needed.

In Cherry Creek, ballot props 3A and 3B are focused on not only making more go further, but doing it in a way that creates new and innovative opportunities for students across the school district.

At the heart of a $250 million capital construction plan is a new career and innovation academy, to be built somewhere in the south-central part of the district, which will be a comprehensive supercenter of career and technical education. With programs available to the entire district and possibly the community, the facility would make good on its commitment to provide a wider range of education options to meet a growingly diverse cadre of needs. Rather than just offer shop classes and beauty school, the facility would turn out student experts in auto mechanics, electrical construction, computer fields and other careers. It would allow students to head to college with credits and jobs, or bypass it to go straight into a paid career.
In addition, the bond measure would spread across the school district $90 million in new school construction and $80 million in needed maintenance.

But the measure depends on approving 3A, which would increase property taxes to provide operating funds to maintain class size and allow the district to focus teaching resources in schools that have need for specialized or intensive programming. Schools that suddenly are host to high numbers of challenged readers or advanced math students can look to the district for help with unexpected challenges.

Cherry Creek schools has long been prudent stewards of public funds. A close look at how this request for construction and operating expenses was created can assure voters the school district has no choice but to ask for money to preserve what the district has built, and to push ahead to new levels.

Both 3A and 3B are reasonable, affordable requests that will  go a long way in ensuring school success. Vote yes.