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Tag: Mill Levy Override

Castle Rock Council Approves New School Land Rules Despite District Concerns
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CBS Colorado, Approved, Local

Castle Rock Council Approves New School Land Rules Despite District Concerns

By Olivia Young | CBS Colorado Douglas County School District is grappling with a change in law in one of its most populous communities. The Castle Rock Town Council passed an ordinance Tuesday night changing the way land and funds dedicated to schools are allocated. Historically, developers have dedicated land or funding for future public schools. The town holds these assets until the district is ready to build a school, but now the district will need to meet certain conditions and timelines, or the land may be used for other purposes. There are currently 13 sites in Castle Rock planned for schools. The ordinance cites "changing demographic trends, school enrollment patterns, and long-range capital planning" as reasons many of them may not be developed into schools fo...
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The Denver school tax question says $44 million. The measure says something larger.
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Rocky Mountain Voice, Local, Top Stories

The Denver school tax question says $44 million. The measure says something larger.

By Shaina Cole | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice The question Denver voters will mark this November asks whether to raise Denver Public Schools taxes "up to $44 million." That is the number on the ballot, the number in the district's public materials, and the figure repeated in news coverage of the measure. The $44 million is not a fixed cap on what the tax could raise in the years after. Read the board's resolution, adopted Aug. 13, along with the ballot question it certified, and the $44 million turns out to be an estimate for the first year.  What voters would also authorize is a permanent change to the ceiling on how much the district can collect through its operational overrides — a ceiling written as a share of the district's total program funding, not ...
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Douglas County School Board To Put $54 Million Tax Request Before Voters in November
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The Denver Gazette, Approved, Local

Douglas County School Board To Put $54 Million Tax Request Before Voters in November

By Nicholas Fogleman | The Denver Gazette The Douglas County School District board unanimously approved a resolution Tuesday to place a $54 million mill levy override on the November ballot, sending the funding request to voters after months of discussion about the district’s financial challenges. The proposed override comes as school districts across the Denver metro area grapple with budget pressures. Jefferson County Public Schools recently approved a $133 million mill levy override request for voters, citing similar concerns about funding and rising operational costs. The largest portion of Douglas County’s proposed measure, $21.4 million, would be dedicated to increasing compensation for teachers and staff by 4%. Throughout recent discussions, Superintenden...
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DougCo’s charter proposal protects schools from competition, not choice
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Rocky Mountain Voice, Commentary, Local, Top Stories

DougCo’s charter proposal protects schools from competition, not choice

By Kim Gilmartin | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice Douglas County has long been known as a community that values school choice, which is one reason a resolution recently advanced by the Douglas County School District (DCSD) Board of Education deserves much more attention than it has received. The resolution, submitted to the Colorado Association of School Boards (CASB), asks for changes to Colorado’s Charter Schools Act that would give local boards more authority to consider how a new charter school might affect schools that already exist. CASB has now published the proposal as Resolution #3, submitted by the DCSD Board of Education, for consideration at its September Delegate Assembly. The language matters. The resolution would allow local boards to consider the “educa...
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Jeffco Schools Seek $135 Million Tax Hike to Address Deficit and Facility Needs
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Colorado Public Radio, Approved, Local

Jeffco Schools Seek $135 Million Tax Hike to Address Deficit and Facility Needs

By Melanie Asmar | CPR News Faced with a looming deficit, Jeffco Public Schools is weighing whether to ask voters in November to approve a $135 million tax increase. A community advisory group has recommended the funding be used for teacher salaries, career and technical education programs, technology, and safety and building upgrades. If voters approve the measure, property taxes would increase by $3.58 per month on every $100,000 of a home’s value, according to a district presentation. Although Jeffco is Colorado’s second-largest school district with 74,000 students, it spends less money per pupil than several other metro districts, according to state data. Part of the reason is that Jeffco voters have approved fewer tax increases, known as mill levy o...
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Adams 12 asks taxpayers for $39.42M more in November vote
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Fox31, Approved, Local

Adams 12 asks taxpayers for $39.42M more in November vote

By Heather Willard | Fox 31 DENVER (KDVR) — The Adams 12 Five Star Schools Board of Education unanimously approved the placement of a $39.42 million mill levy override on the November ballot at the board’s Wednesday night meeting. “We know the state’s not going to have a lot of money to help us out for next year,” Superintendent Chris Gdowski said in the district’s announcement of the placement. “So if we don’t help ourselves here in Adams 12, next year will be another difficult year when it comes to cuts.” The mill levy override will help pay for ongoing operating expenses, such as additional staffing and academic programming for students; salaries for teachers and support staff; and investments in safety and security personnel. The district also noted that it ranks nearl...
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