Editor:
Why should I vote for the new Poudre School District proposed mill levy override and school bond? My children and grandchildren are grown, I am a senior citizen and retired. My family does not benefit from this expense!
Whoa, bad thinking!
We are all in this together and our rapidly growing population of children is challenging the Poudre School Board efforts to provide adequate numbers of good classrooms, teachers, and the excellent academic programs that we are used to having. The mill levy override allows for the continuation of the current Poudre School District mill levy and provides the funds to staff and equip the schools supported by the bond. The bond provides the funds to construct new schools and repair and upgrade the current schools in the district.
The mill levy override and the bond issue appear as one item on the November ballot since we cannot have one with out the other.
The student population in our Wellington Middle School is up 16 percent and our elementary schools are up 8 percent since last year at this time. The high school students from the Wellington area are up 10 percent in the same time period. This growth rate is unlikely to slow down. If this growth continues at a conservative rate of 8 percent per year through 2019, the current Wellington area student population (2,216) will reach
approximately 2,790 students or about 575 new students or more.
The new bond will provide funding for additional upgrades to existing schools, three new schools and additional support facilities. Without the bond and tax levy override, the school district will not have sufficient funds to deal with all the issues concerning maintenance of current aging schools and increased classroom space. Using the addition of modules to substitute for new schools will take funds from the school district general fund which will deplete funds for programs and teachers salaries.
The alternative to the bond is a higher, long-term expense and program reductions.
The current mill levy that we have been paying for the 2010 Poudre School District bond will just be continued, not increased, to pay off the new 2016 bond that will be passed in November 2016 by you.
Vote “yes” for the Poudre School District mill levy override and school bond issue!
Wendell Nelson
Wellington
Support Northern Colorado Journalism
Show your support for North Forty News by helping us produce more content. It's a kind and simple gesture that will help us continue to bring more content to you.
BONUS - Donors get a link in their receipt to sign up for our once-per-week instant text messaging alert. Get your e-copy of North Forty News the moment it is released!
Click to Donate