EDITOR: In 2009, when my husband and I stepped into our CCSD neighborhood elementary school for a tour, the administrator said, “The first thing you need to know is that our voters approved the 2008 ballot measures.” Colorado has underfunded education for a long time, but due to the recession, those approvals were especially important.
Now the Cherry Creek School District is facing a $60 million budget deficit over the next two years. This loss of revenue will be even greater than cuts the district saw in 2008. It poses serious risks to the education, programs and this time: teachers and small classrooms we value. CCSD has won awards for their fiscal responsibility and transparency, and this summer they cut, eliminated, froze and furloughed. The CARES money from the Federal government cannot be used to backfill revenue losses, and the State is cutting $25 million this year. 4A and 4B are the bare minimum needed to address deferred maintenance and prevent cutting teachers.
The combined impact of the measures for homeowners in the district would total $1.65 per month for every $100,000 of home value — not a lot. Readers may find more information at www.citizensforcherrycreekschools.com
Eleven years ago, my husband and I walked out of Homestead so impressed, and amazed at what CCSD provides with property taxes at a fraction of what we paid in the Midwest.
If you are tired of how education is funded in Colorado, me too, but this is not the year to vote against these ballot measures on principle.
— LeeAnn Williams, via letters@sentinelcolorado.com