Douglas County voters split on school funding, per survey

2023 Ballot Question Considered

BY MCKENNA HARFORD MHARFORD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Douglas County voters remain split on whether they support approving a bond and mill levy override for the school district since the funding measures narrowly failed in November 2022, according to new survey results.

e Douglas County school board received survey results from registered voters likely to participate in November 2023 election from Denver-based consultants Pac/West Strategies. e results were discussd during the April 11 meeting.

Of the 400 voters who answered the survey, 49% would vote for a mill levy override to pay sta competitive wages and 48% would vote for a bond to help nance new schools and building maintenance. When asked if they generally supported increasing school funding, 67% of voters agreed.

Mark Truax, president of Pac/ West Strategies, said the di erence is likely because jargon used for ballot questions can be hard for voters to decipher. Truax added that he is optimistic about the results because they show that support from last year hasn’t dropped.

In the 2022 election, a $60 million mill levy override to increase sta salaries and bene ts received 49% of the vote, while a $450 million bond for new schools and building maintenance received 46% of the vote.

“ e fact that there has not been an erosion in support between election day of last year and spring break of this year bodes very, very well,” he said.

When it comes to e ective arguments for the bond and mill levy override, survey results show 66% voters are persuaded by messaging about how investing in schools is an investment in the entire community and 65% are persuaded by the details of the school district’s lack of funding comparative to other districts.

A majority of respondents said competitive pay, increased career and technical education, improving safety and security, and maintaining buildings were important to fund.

Truax said he wants voters to think of the bond and mill levy override as a package deal that will both contribute to attracting and retaining sta , who drive the success of the district, which ultimately helps the success of the community.

“It’s looking at it as an investment in our students and schools and looking at it holistically and what are the resources needed, not just the people, but the infrastructure,” he said.

One challenge the results pointed to is that voters may be reluctant to raise taxes with the current level of in ation, with 66% of respondents saying that they’d be less likely to approve funding because of economic impacts.

Respondents said the district’s top two issues are that the environment is too political and the lack of competitive pay for teachers and sta . Additionally, while 54% said the school district has a favorable reputation, only 32% said the school board has a favorable reputation. e board has not made any ofcial decisions on putting a bond or mill levy override on the 2023 ballot, but their discussions have indicated they will return to voters again this year, though the asks may be slightly di erent.

Board members are considering increasing the mill levy override question from $60 million for sta compensation to around $65 million for sta compensation and adding 10 school resource o cers to the district.