Property taxes — truths and myths

Douglas County homeowners recently received notice that their property taxes are increasing - in some cases, quite dramatically.

So how much additional funding will the Douglas County School District (DCSD) receive from this increase in taxes?

Education Corner

While the increased revenue will bene t many local government and community services, you may be surprised to learn it will not increase funding for our local schools.

While the district will collect more money in local property taxes, the district will not bene t from the increase. Our total program funding is determined by the School Finance Act and is paid for by a combination of property taxes (“local share”) and the state’s general fund (“state share”). When the local share goes up, the state share goes down proportionally.

An increase in local property taxes has a $0 impact on total program funding - it just changes the balance of who is paying the bill.

When my kids were young, they had an allowance of $10 per week. I would give them each what I could based on how much cash I had (I am always woefully short on cash) and my husband (always prepared) would give them the rest. So, one week I might give them each $3 and my husband would give them each $7. e next week, I might give them

Letter To The Editor

Pride isn’t enough each $6, and my husband would give them each $4. I spent twice as much the second week, but did my kids bene t in any way? Did they have more money to spend? e answer is no - all that changed is whose wallet their allowance came from.

I have been following Douglas County’s e orts to address the mental health needs of our community members. Particularly the needs of our youth — and I’m more than a little perplexed with the recent announcement that they awarded a grant to Castle Rock Pride. Per their website, the mission of Castle Rock Pride is too “build a supportive community for LGBTQ plus residents of Castle rock.” I’ve reviewed this organization’s grant application, and they admit that they have no history of employing a mental health professional. ey do imply that a mental health professional will be employed if they were to be awarded a grant, but stepping into the clinical realm is well outside of their mission. On their website, there is no transparency on who the individuals are behind this organization. If there is a desire to expand the mission into clinical work, do they have a board who is quali ed to help make this pivot?

I also question why our county commissioners feel compelled to call out the support of one particular identity group, the LGBTQ+ community.

Douglas County teachers can drive to one of our neighboring school districts and earn a more desirable salary. For example, Cherry Creek School District’s average teacher salary is more than $19,000 higher than Douglas County’s. With the cost of living in our area, many Douglas County teachers are unable to live in the communities where they work. at’s because DCSD’s starting teacher pay is just over $45,000.

So how does a district like Cherry Creek or Littleton pay their teachers more competitively? e only way to increase funding outside of the School Finance Act is through a Mill Levy Override, or MLO. Other school districts have been successful for years in passing MLO ballot measures. Because of this, DCSD now receives $2,000 less per student than Cherry Creek School District and Littleton Public Schools – which equals a gap of $130 million per year.

MLO Funding Per Student vs. Average Teacher Salary is has led to signi cant pay discrepancies for DCSD teachers, with those gaps growing each time an MLO is passed in a neighboring school district.

Are administrative costs to blame? Not in DCSD. e Douglas County School District has the lowest general administration costs in the metro area.

Struggles with mental health, drug abuse and suicidal ideation a ect far more than one identity group. Douglas County mental health initiatives suicide prevention roadmap states that nearly 62% of all suicide deaths in Douglas County are from individuals who have a history of mental health issues. e Colorado Department of Public Health Douglas County states that of the youth who committed suicide over a four year period, nearly 27% were on antidepressants, and nearly 40% had alcohol and 20% had marijuana in their systems when they died, and nearly 17% had opiates in their system respectively when they died. I’m skeptical that building “positive networks of support and inclusion” will be adequate to help these youths overcome drug and alcohol addiction.

Picking a group of people to support based on particular attribute of said group (e.g., their sexual orientation) is degrading and inhumane. is decision makes me question whether our country commissioners really care about the needs of all youth.

Ursula Kakos Castle Rock

Around 85% of DCSD’s annual revenue is spent on people - salaries, bene ts, and PERA contributions. General administration accounts for just 0.6% of DCSD’s Total Operational Spending.

With a $66 million Mill Levy Override, DCSD would:

• Make sta pay more competitive, in order to keep valued teachers and sta in the school district

• Increase and maintain safety and security, with additional support such as School Resource

O cers, or SROs

Providing safe and e ective learning environments is so important for student and sta well-being. With a $484 million Bond, DCSD would:

• Invest in school safety and security upgrades to buildings (such as hardening of school buildings)

• Provide additional Career and

Technical Education opportunities for students (such as increasing the number of automotive and other CTE pathway courses)

• Update, maintain and construct educational facilities to ensure safe and adequate learning spaces and reduce overcrowding e DCSD Board of Education will make a nal determination of whether to place these measures on the November ballot soon. Learn more and stay informed at www.dcsdk12.org/funding.

What would this cost you? A Douglas County taxpayer would expect to pay $20 per year per $100,000 of home value. So, for a million dollar home, the total increase of both measures combined would be $200 per year.

Erin Kane is the Superintendent of the Douglas County School District

BY BELEN WARD BWARD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

ADenver-based nonpro t music education organization is helping local rising stars showcase and enhance their musical talents, record music and learn podcasting for free.

Youth on Record, founded by local musician community organizer Flobots in 2008 works with people aged 14 to 24.

“Flotbots’ mission was to bring music to young people to improve academic success and youth outreach, and it grew into what is now known as Youth on Record,” said Haley Witt, a guitar musician and singer-songwriter who manages Youth on Record.

Youth on Record recently rocked at its ninth annual block party in support of youth in music with over 20 live music performances, teen activities and vendors at its o ce location near downtown Denver.

“We have a state-of-the-art recording studio soundboard and all sorts of instruments,” Witt said. “So young people can drop into our programs and learn about mixing, mastering songs and learn about songwriting and instrumentation.”

After school programs e Youth on Record runs afterschool, out-of-school and in-school programming with Denver Public Schools and Aurora Public Schools middle and high schools.

“We partner with the schools to teach four-credit classes, and we hire local professional artists to teach those classes,” Witt said. “Our Youth on Record teaching artists come to the schools, and the young people are able to learn from them. It’s one way that you nd our Youth on Record programs through the schools.” ere also is an open mic every rst Friday, and it is open to the public, where the youth perform and gain experience in combination with all the First Fridays and art walks across the city, speci cally in collaboration with the Santa Fe Art Walk.

Youth on Record also has afterschool programs at the Youth on Record media studio space called the open lab on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays and is available to young people from 14 to 24 years old.

“It’s self-guided so that they can explore their interests. ey come into the space with a passion for music, making songwriting production, and we teach them the skill set they need to accomplish the projects they’re passionate about,” Witt said.

Witt said Youth on Record also o er an internship and fellowship program and a fellowship program, both of which are paid programs by donors.

“Youth on Record is a nonpro t organization so donors fund our program,” Witt said.

Witt said Youth on Record has had a lot of talented program graduates.

Baily Elora from Hudson/ Keenesburg Colorado, featured in the Fort Lupton Press, went through the program and signed on with Sony Music Subsidiary e Orchard.

“We are proud of all of our program graduates and all of the various directions that they’re headed, it’s really important to us to connect with young people with economic opportunities, “ Witt said.

Witt said Youth on Records is a pillar of academic success, economic opportunity and community activation.

“Our economic opportunity pillar, it’s really important to us to connect young people to community careers and job opportunities,” Witt said.

Witt said they have young people who play gigs in the community and support booking those gigs and paid opportunities for young people to perform.

Youth on Record also places young people into community internships and fellowships.

“Our fellows will have the opportunity to have community internships with local partners as well. It’s important to us to connect young people to jobs in the industry and to connect them to opportunities in creative elds and show them that it’s possible,” Witt said.

“ at’s a program run by our fellows and learn how to put together a music festival, run it, secure porta potties and design posters for the festival and how it ties in economic opportunity. e block party is a youth-led program,” Witt said.