Resident generated news about Lakewood, Colorado
Resident generated news about Lakewood, Colorado
Jeffco Schools Wants a Mill Levy Increase
Recent meetings from the Jeffco School Board Partnership for Fiscal Sustainability discussed raising the mill levy and how to market that decision to residents. This demonstrates yet another government body shaping propaganda to support a future ballot measure. Jeffco Schools, like Lakewood and Jefferson County, hired a consultant to help with a mill levy question. At this point, a community survey has asked about revenue generation. Budget presentations show data about raising the levy. Budget reductions are discussed as a part of the solution.
The point of these meetings was to “prepare and involve the community to support future revenue generation,” as seen in the slide below. This is using district resources to get resident support in what will likely be a ballot question on the mill levy. School communications are also a tool to discuss any upcoming cuts or revenue changes.
School Board Member Erin Kenworthy asked for data that would support a mill increase. The Chair of the Financial Accountability Committee said that one of the keys to a non-profit world is that “you only spend what you have” but the district needs to raise the money to be able to spend it.
Speaking generally, Kenworth said she appreciated the help “managing expectations” on how fast a budget of this size could be turned around.
A survey conducted by Jeffco Schools asked if residents would like more fees or less services. Staff reiterated in stakeholder discussions that the district has little fat to trim. Residents say they would rather raise revenue.
Budget reductions are aimed at areas away from the classroom. That means cutting at the department level. However, as shown in the slide below, departments can’t be cut without affecting the classroom either. That means that some department cuts may be shallow. Two out of three of these department-level programs are not mentioned in the budget book.
There is no line item in the budget for health services or Newcomer tutors. It’s hard to argue that the district could be spending better without actual numbers. The school district just tells people it affects the classroom, so it can’t have a big reduction, even for controversial programs like newcomer support.
Revenue Data Bias
The district presents data that homeowners’ tax burden has decreased, which is only true in a specific light.
The graph below is from the Jeffco School’s budget, showing a greatly exaggerated line. This line is the homeowners’ “tax burden”. A close look shows this line represents a decrease of just 0.05% while home prices increased by a greater interval of $200,000.
Viewed differently, this is AN INCREASE in tax burden. For these numbers, the median household tax burden would be $1620 in 2019 and $1962 in 2025. That’s an INCREASE OF $342 per homeowner. Which is why the state legislature decreased the tax rate – because the DOLLARS PAID was higher. (Renters’ contributions through income taxes are not represented)
For context, that tax burden overlay for dollars paid would look something like this:
Jeffco schools did not talk about increased dollars received. They focused on rates.
A Jeffco resident posted a public letter on nextdoor, pointing out that property taxes have gone up 47% while the inflation rate was only 2.9%, and thus the school district should have more overall money.
Specific Cuts
Specific cuts are not known yet. The Board has asked but staff are making general, across the board cuts, rather than evaluating program effectiveness from a Board policy viewpoint.
Superintendent Tracy Dorland says the district is not looking at closing more schools at this time. They are also not seriously considering a 4-day school week because it wouldn’t save money unless you pay staff for only 4 days of work.
Previous decisions to close schools are still impacting the budget. The operating budget was decreased but only 5 have been sold, and in the case of Emory Elementary School, dollar revenue was not maximized.
Jeffco Schools is currently looking at cutting staff positions. Notifications for which positions will be impacted are expected in December. Plans are in place to help those impacted.