Since our group began in support of the SVVSD 2008 Mill Levy Override & Bond, our communications to you have primarily focused on financial issues.  Not because that is all that matters in education, but because education funding has been a growing crisis in Colorado over the past three years.  However there is more to consider.

Public education in the U.S. is undergoing a significant change that will affect our work force, businesses, communities and nation in the coming decades.  Our mission is to inform communities in the St. Vrain valley about current education issues, encourage our stakeholders to understand and research these issues and participate in the conversation so we can make the best decisions possible for our future.

Please let us know how you prioritize different topics that impact education and how you are willing to keep the conversation going.  Your answers to this short three question survey will greatly impact the effectiveness of GSV as we continue to grow in St. Vrain, raise awareness about public education and encourage knowledge-based decision making throughout our community.

The Lobato case was filed against the State of Colorado in 2005, claiming that education funding violates our state constitution because it does not meet the standard of ‘thorough and uniform’ as written in the state constitution.

The results of this case are critically important to the future of public education in Colorado.  A spokesman for the Governor has said that “the state will almost certainly appeal this decision.”  Take a moment to tell the Governor and the Attorney General not to spend tax payer money to appeal the decision, but rather to enforce it.

Without Prop 103, projected education cuts for the 2012 school year are about $160 per student as announced yesterday by Governor Hickenlooper.  These are on top of cuts of more than $900 per student over the past three years. The accumulation of funding cuts makes it impossible not to increase class sizes and make additional cuts that will impact the classroom.  As our district faces those tough decisions, we need to work together closely as a community to make sure the budget aligns as best it can with our priorities.

Based on Gov. Hickenlooper’s announced cuts, the four main questions our School Board will consider with community input for the preliminary 2012 budget are:

• How much do we raise class sizes?
• How many teaching positions and what classes/programs do we eliminate?
• Do we ask staff for another pay freeze and/or to pay for more benefits?
• How much of our reserves do we spend?

Twenty eight schools districts across Colorado placed local mill levies on the ballot this November.  Few of them passed.  Without an increase in state funding via Prop 103, St. Vrain may have to follow suit and ask the community to consider a mill levy override next year.  While a local property tax increase does not solve the state-wide problem of plummeting education funds, it will allow us to sustain ourselves, our communities, schools and students.

As our District must address these pending challenges, GSV will continue to follow our mission of informing and activating citizens on education related issues.

Please sign our pledge to keep fighting for SVVSD’s students so we can add to the momentum that Proposition 103 made possible.

Thank you for your support!

• N Longmont:  8661 Yellowstone Rd
• N Longmont:  9487 Anahawa Ave
• W Longmont:  6723 Snead Ct
• E Longmont: 2017 Sundance Dr
• Niwot:  8824 Walker Rd
• Tri-Towns:  4833 Falcon Dr, Frederick
• Erie:  2458 Vale Way
• Erie:  425 Bonnell Ave -Magnum Plastics

Remember yard signs may be posted on residential and commercial property with permission of the owner.  Yard signs should not be placed on school grounds, medians, parks or other public property.

• Sign an easy on-line petition asking our Governor and State Legislature to support Prop 103.
• We have yard signs!  You can pick a sign up at the locations below.
• Make some voter phone calls.  The easy-to-use tool provides a talking script.
• Write a letter to the editor to gets the facts straight about Prop 103.

There remains no wide-spread media campaign for Prop 103, but there’s good news – limited television spots for Prop 103 are on TV!  Conversely, the opposition is ramping up their efforts with 100,000 planned robo-calls against Prop 103.  Please keep going, do what you can – continue to get the word out about Prop 103.  It’s Up to Us!  Remember, you can’t spell valUe edUcation without “you.”

Yard Sign Pick Up Locations:

*  If parking is limited, please parallel park by the front door.  Signs are inside.

Once again, we residents of Colorado have been given the opportunity to vote on paying additional taxes — this time specifically to fund education. I am asking for your “yes” vote on Proposition 103.

I may ask, “Why should I pay more taxes for education — my children are grown and are no longer part of the system? Times are tough. Shouldn’t schools make do with what they have?” I have to.

However, with my extensive background in finance and education funding in Colorado, I recognize the dire circumstances facing school districts throughout the state. They have experienced several years of severe cuts in funding and face the prospect of additional reductions over the next several years. Having already trimmed the “fat” from their budgets and reduced other non-instructional expenditures substantially, districts will be forced to cut teachers. This results in larger class sizes and reduced programs and class offerings, among other impacts.

Children receive only one opportunity for their K-12 education. If we fail to provide more funding for education, even for the short five-year period covered by Proposition 103, our children will be the innocent victims. They deserve better. Our children will become the future leaders of our state. Don’t we deserve the best we can give them?

Please vote “yes” on Nov. 1.

MARK E. PILLMORE

Longmont

I guess I’m puzzled. I read the Times-Call’s Prop 103 editorial on Oct. 9. The editorial
supports proper funding for public schools and states public education is a good cause. Yet after $776 million in state K-12 funding cuts the last three years and the forecast of continuing cuts for another 10 plus years the T-C doesn’t believe this is the right time to stop the de-funding.  Seems to me this is just the right time to stop further de-funding before our school system slips into the abyss. As Sen. Heath said, you can defer road maintenance, but you can’t defer a child’s education.

The T-C asks what happens in five years after Prop 103 runs out; and it doesn’t address other state needs. I shudder to think what happens to public education without the five
year “Band-Aid”.  If someone is bleeding and needs more than a Band-Aid, but the only thing in your first aid kit is a Band-Aid do you just walk away from the patient? Or do you at least try the Band-Aid? The T-C is right that 103 doesn’t address other state needs. The state education grassroots level did reach out to other revenue stakeholders, but the initiative filing time ran out before coming close to a comprehensive solution. So the decision was made to go forward with an education only initiative. By the way the five year Band-Aid is to allow the Legislature and voters the time to hopefully address Colorado’s systemic revenue problems without further de-funding of education.

This leads me to the T-C’s next objection, that ballot box decisions are a poor way to run a
representative government; and that 103 will only exacerbate the problem. I agree that ballot box decisions are a poor way to run a representative government, but that is how Colorado’s constitution operates. The voters took away the Legislature’s power to represent Coloradans in fiscal issues. Colorado is no longer a representative government; it is a direct democracy when it comes to matters of revenues. Prop 103 is revenue above and beyond current state funding sources and is solely for public education, so I’m not quite sure how that exacerbates the problem.

The T-C is concerned with the unfortunate timing of 103. One thing I know is de-funding our education system is not the long or short term solution to fixing our economy. If Coloradans are interested in attracting businesses to our state then a properly funded public education system is part of the equation. Prospective employers want a well educated work force and employees moving to Colorado what a properly funded public education system for their children. The impact of Prop 103 on a family making $50,000 a year is about $2.75 a week.  The cost of continued de-funding will lead to programming cuts, increased class sizes and probable transportation fees costing families much more than $2.75 per week.

Some taxpayers may feel we already spend enough or too much on public education, so more cuts are just fine. So let’s see where Colorado stands nationally in public education funding. In straight dollars we rank 32nd.  If you factor in per capita income, Colorado ranks 48th.

The T-C ends with 103 being a well-meaning idea, that our schools should be properly funded, but 103 is not the best way to do it. I agree with that statement. Prop 103 is less than ideal. In a perfect world the Legislature to sit down together and instantly craft
bipartisan, comprehensive legislation to address 30 years of hodge-podge state constitutional amendments, put that legislation on the ballot and fix all the ills of our state in one fell swoop.  Unfortunately, that isn’t happening this election cycle. What we have are two choices. First, allow the continued de-funding of our public education system and its 48th funding ranking, or pass the five year Band-Aid to give the Legislature and the voters the time to address our state’s systemic revenue issues. I’m opting for the Prop 103 Band-Aid. I hope you will join me at the first aid kit on Election Day.

Alex Sharp is a retired Naval Officer who has lived in the Longmont area for 4 years and is a member of Grassroots St Vrain.

October 16th, 2011 by John Creighton

As a community, we have a great deal to celebrate in the St. Vrain Valley.  The community has provided tremendous support to the school district and the school district has produced results.

Despite $24 million dollars in reduced state funding over the past three years, as calculated by the Colorado Department of Education, St. Vrain has stayed true to the community-supported vision for our schools that was the basis for the 2008 mill levy override.  Over the past few years, St. Vrain has:

• Increased instruction time for students at all academic levels including an additional 30 half-days for those most in need.
• Implemented a focus school programs that emphasize science, technology, math, leadership and the arts.
• Increased advanced course offerings available to secondary students.
• Made it possible for teachers to integrate technology into instruction through a district wide wireless school initiative.
• Maintained relatively small class sizes – in particular at the elementary level.
• Established unique partnerships with the business community to give students real-world learning experiences.
• Built schools to keep up with growth and improved existing schools to be safer for students and more energy efficient.

The results of these initiatives have been significant.  More than one-third of St. Vrain schools are accredited with distinction based on Colorado performance measures.  Importantly, the number of schools on improvements plans has been cut by more than half.

St. Vrain Valley schools have been recognized by the College Board, the U.S. Department of Education, the Colorado Department of Education and Bloomberg Businessweek to name just a few organizations that have noted St. Vrain’s excellence.

Most important, families and students are choosing St. Vrain. Despite stagnant population growth in the region, student enrollment has increased by more than 3,500 students over the past five years.

Yet, per pupil funding is lower than it was five years ago.  According to Colorado Department of Education figures, funding to St. Vrain has been reduced by $943 per student.  State policymakers estimate that another $200 to $300 per student will be cut from St. Vrain next year.

How has St. Vrain stayed the course on its strategic priorities in the face of massive reductions in funds?  The short answer is district employees – with support from the community – have stepped up to the plate to protect students’ learning experiences.

Under Dr. Don Haddad’s leadership, the district finance team has identified more than $11 million dollars in permanent new revenues and savings.  District staff has won more than $8 million dollars in grants.  Support staff and administrators have been reduced to the point that more cuts would lead to diminishing returns.  District employees agreed to a pay freeze and a soft hiring freeze – while workloads to implement new instructional programs, meet accountability standards and pick up the slack of a reduced workforce have increased.

St. Vrain administrator salaries, for better or worse, are among the lowest in the metro area.  There has been no increase in central administrators despite a 20% growth in students since 2005.

Families and students have had to step up, too.  Parent organizations are being asked to raise more money to fund school basics.  Families are feeling the pinch of instructional and activity fees.  The pressure on families will mount if there are more cuts in state funds.

Plans are in the works to garner more savings and new revenues in the coming years.  The district will retire facilities too costly to maintain; increase services to home school families; expand St. Vrain Online Global Academy, and move toward self-funded health care as a way to provide better care, work with local providers and save money.

It will be difficult to stay the course in St. Vrain if the state continues to reduce education funding.  A University of Denver study suggests that K-12 education funding in Colorado will be cut by 19% for 13 of the next 14 years if there are no changes to state policy.  There are not enough efficiencies and innovations to make up for cuts of this magnitude.

That is why the St. Vrain Valley School Board endorsed Proposition 103 – a temporary, five-year increase in the state sales and income tax to ensure no further cuts to education.  This initiative would raise the sales tax from 2.9% to 3.0% and the income tax from 4.63% to 5.0%.  The same as it was in 1999.

The Colorado constitution requires voters to approve any increase in taxes at the ballot box.  The St. Vrain Valley School Board encourages all voters to make an informed decision.

*     *     *

This piece appeared as a guest opinion in the Longmont Times-Call on Sunday, October 16, 2011.

Pick yours up at Panorama Coordinated Services
1235 Boston Avenue, Longmont
Friday, October 14th between 9:00 am – 7:00 pm
Saturday, October 15th between 8:00 am – 12:00 pm
Enter through the door on the west side of the building.
Remember yard signs may be posted on residential and commercial property with permission of the owner.
Yard signs should not be placed on school grounds, medians, parks or other public property.

Get your sign – while supplies last!!

Still need talking points to support Prop 103?  Read this Editorial from the Durango Herald.  It’s a good synopsis of what Prop 103 means to Colorado.

A few reminders why we encourage you to support Prop 103:

• It will prevent a fourth year of cuts to schools and allow Colorado to start reinvesting in education.
• 100% of additional revenue will go toward public schools and colleges.
• It will prevent exploding class sizes, eliminating teachers, reducing instruction time and cutting programs.
• It is a re-set to 1999 tax rates – Colorado has proven these are NOT job-killing tax levels.
• Projected cost for a family earning $100K = $5.42 per week.

28 schools districts across Colorado are putting local mill levy increases on the ballot Nov. 1.  Will voters approve local and state funding efforts?  We don’t know.  But we do know Colorado ranks 45th in total spending compared to other states – 48th in funding for higher education and 48th in K-12 spending as a percentage of income.  We can do better.

Please do what you can to get the word out - write mailers, make phone calls, use Facebook/Twitter - do what you can.  Remember It’s Up to Us! – you can’t spell QUality EdUcation without “you.”