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. nation in Douglas County moving forward. e administration o ce for the school district said on Monday it did not have any comment on the settlement. e settlement is not an admission of liability for the district or board members.

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.

“I feel validated that this sends a statement that politics should not enter education and, at the same time, discriminatory acts have consequences,” Wise said.

Board President Peterson said in a statement that he voted to re Wise because of a lack of competency and reiterated that the settlement is not an admission of liability.

“As one director, I voted to terminate the former superintendent due to a lack of competency - period,” he said. “I will not allow this matter to distract me from focusing on our students and securing more competitive pay for our teachers and sta .”

Board Member Williams also provided a statement, saying she voted to re Wise because she felt he was “unable to meet the requirements of an e cient and e ective leader.”

“I’m thankful we can nally move forward and put the focus back on our students and sta ,” Williams said.

Myers, Peterson, Williams and Winegar campaigned and were elected on platforms that included removing mask mandates in schools and making changes to the district’s e goal with the complaint is to stand up against discrimination and push back against partisanship and tion and create division and hate for political power. It’s not happening by accident.”

Wise said he is thankful for the support he’s received from community members and wants the best for the district. He urged the district to continue to focus on educational equity and nd ways to come together.

“Each of our students’ experiences going through school is the social piece of learning, so (addressing equity) is just as imperative as teaching academics,” he said. “If we don’t provide a safe environment for every student to learn, how are they going to reach their potential?”

Wise’s ring was a watershed for the school district, with more than 1,000 teachers calling out sick and students walking out of class to protest the termination the day before it happened.

It came under extra scrutiny when school board members Elizabeth Hanson, Susan Meek and David Ray alleged the decision had been made outside of public meetings, which would violate Colorado’s Open Meetings Law.

Douglas County resident Bob Marshall, who is now also a state house representative, sued the district over the alleged open meetings law violation and that suit is still in court.

In a preliminary order issued in March 2022, Douglas County District Court Judge Je rey Holmes agreed that the board members had violated the law and ordered the members to conduct all public business in public meetings and follow open meetings law.

School board members Myers, Peterson, Williams and Winegar maintain they did not violate any laws.

Wise currently works for the Cherry Creek School District.