1-Color
June 13, 2014
75 cents Arapahoe County, Colorado Volume 94, Issue 17
englewoodherald.net
Coming Soon!
A publication of
Schools again eye reserves Board gives initial OK to tap fund once more By Tom Munds
tmunds @coloradocommunitymedia.com
Graduating senior Miranda Holman comes through the bubbles created by faculty members and gets a high five from teacher Sam Irvin as she and classmates head for their seats at the June 7 Englewood High School commencement ceremonies. Photos by Tom Munds
100th Englewood High class graduates Commencement ceremony lauds Class of 2014 By Tom Munds
tmunds @coloradocommunitymedia.com Friends and family filled the stands at Englewood High School’s football stadium and cheered and applauded as members of the Class 0f 2014 marched into the stadium to take part in the 100th Englewood High School commencement ceremony. “This class already has a place in Englewood High School history because it is the 100th graduating class,” said principal Jonathan Fore as he welcomed visitors and graduates. “But they also made their own marks in school history. While 57 percent of these students held jobs during their senior year, almost 90 percent of the graduates plan to continue their education at twoyear or four-year colleges.” On a lighter note, Fore said the class is unique because it is the first class that, for the senior prank, placed a car in the school library. Following Fore’s opening remarks, there was music and speeches by students. This year’s keynote speaker was Jovan Mays, Aurora poet laureate. He remarked that while this was graduation day, for most parents, it was also, “My Baby Done Did It Day.” He received a standing ovation for his moving and energetic delivery of the poem he wrote specifically for the EHS Class of 2014. Additional speakers included honor Grads continues on Page 18
Jovan Mays, Aurora poet laureat, emphasizes the words of a poem he wrote for the Englewood High School Class of 2014. Mays received a standing ovation for his presentation June 7 at the EHS commencement ceremonies.
Members of the Englewood High School Class of 2014 move their tassels to the other side of their hats just before they were officially declared high school graduates at the conclusion of the school’s 100th commencement.
For the second year, the Englewood School District is on track to use reserve funds to make ends meet, in a move that got an initial OK by the school board on June 3. If the district’s financial challenges don’t change, the superintendent said, the reserves could run dry after a couple more years. The recommended 2014-15 budget projects that the district’s costs of operation will be about $28.3 million, while forecast revenues will be about $25.5 million. Since the state requires the school district to operate on a balanced budget, the plan is to use $3.4 million from the almost $9 million in reserves available at the end of the 2013-14 school year. No one signed up to testify for or against the proposed budget at the board’s June 3 public hearing. The budget is scheduled to be adopted during the board meeting on June 17, which will be held at 6:30 p.m. at the Maddox Building, 700 W. Mansfield Ave. “Our district continues to struggle to make ends meet while providing a quality education for all of our students,” said Brian Ewert, school superintendent. “Our recommendation, with the support of the school board, is to once again to save people and programs by using reserves.” This marks the second year Englewood has chosen to balance the budget by using reserve funds instead of making drastic cuts in personnel and programs. The district has been facing touch financial challenges for the past several years primarily because of reduced revenues and declining enrollment. Englewood receives more than 50 percent of its revenues from state per-pupil funding. Per-pupil funding is primarily based on a formula established in 1994. However, because of the bleak economic climate of the past few years, the state has not provided the full amount as established by the formula. Estimates are that the reductions, called recissions, resulted in Englewood schools receiving about $2.9 million less over the past years than it would have received under the 1994 state school finance act. Also, for the past 10 years, the student population in Englewood has steadily declined. Part of the reason is an aging popuBudget continues on Page 5
INSIDE: For in-depth coverage of candidates facing off in the June 24 primary elections, see pages 10-12.
POSTAL ADDRESS
Printed on recycled newsprint. Please recycle this copy.
Micah Scott does a few dance steps on her way to receive her diploma at the June 7 commencement ceremonies for the Englewood High School Class of 2014. Scott also sang a solo and a duet with Kyrie Schroeder and introduced the ceremony’s guest speaker.