By Madeline Noblett,
Executive Director of Communications,
Poudre School District voters will be asked this November whether to approve an $18 million property tax increase, after the PSD Board of Education voted at its Aug. 27, 2019, meeting to refer the measure to the 2019 ballot.
If the mill levy override passed, PSD will collect $18 million annually starting in the 2020-2021 budget year.
The $18 million generated annually would be used for:
•Increasing first-year teacher salaries to a competitive level, beginning in the 2020-2021 budget year,
•Restructuring the teacher salary schedule to maintain competitive wages and allow PSD to recruit and retain high-quality teachers,
•Maintaining competitive wages for support staff, including classified employees such as bus drivers, paraprofessionals, child nutrition staff and custodians.
•Supporting students’ mental health, by hiring mental health professionals, such as counselors, and
•Enhancing safety and security.
PSD-authorized charter schools would receive their pro-rata share per state statute. No revenue from this tax will be used for administrative salaries or capital improvements. A Mill Levy Override Committee will monitor expenditures.
Colorado ranks among the lowest in the nation in state K-12 education funding. PSD is a floor-funded district, which means it gets the lowest amount of per-pupil revenue (PPR) allowed by law. Unlike most Colorado districts, PSD does not qualify for additional state dollars for factors tied to poverty, cost-of-living, or small student enrollment.
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For more fact-based information from PSD, including answers to Frequently Asked Questions, visit www.psdschools.org/MLO2019. Arguments “FOR” |
Arguments “AGAINST” |
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The cost of living here is high. Yet, teacher salaries are lower in PSD than other neighboring school districts. PSD needs this funding to offer competitive salaries in order to attract and retain the high-quality teachers our students deserve. |
PSD voters approved a bond and mill levy override in the November 2016 election. It is too soon for the school district to ask voters to approve a tax increase. |
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PSD must also ensure our support staff receives a salary that allows them to live in the communities they serve. These positions support our students every day. |
What teachers do for our community is critical. However, wages have been stagnant in our communities, and many people haven’t received raises. |