Sentinel Lakewood
September 26, 2013
A Colorado Community Media Publication
ourlakewoodnews.com
Jefferson County, Colorado • Volume 90, Issue 7
Officials back school funding question Amendment 66 would fund School Finance Act By Vic Vela
vvela@ourcoloradonews.com Prominent Jefferson County officials tried to convince attendees at a Sept. 21 Golden town hall meeting to support a November ballot question that seeks $950 million in new taxes to fund an overhaul to the state’s school finance system. Jefferson County Public Schools Superintendent Cindy Stevenson fielded questions about the ballot measure from a small audience, along with state Rep. Sue Schafer, D-Wheat Ridge, and state Sen. Jeanne Nicholson, D-Black Hawk, whose legislative district includes Jefferson County. The three women are backers of Amendment 66, a measure that will expand school pro-
grams and change how Colorado schools are funded. “This is one of the most important ballot measures we’ve had in a long time,” said Schafer, who also told the audience that passage of Amendment 66 is vital because Colorado public schools have lost “about $1 billion in funding over the last four years.” Amendment 66 would fund the changes to the School Finance Act that were put in place through Senate Bill 213 earlier this year. The measure would create full-day kindergarten for all Colorado students and free preschool for at-risk students. It also would provide more resources for English language learners, as well as for students who are in “gifted and talented” programs. The measure would pump more money into public schools, while creating a more equitable system by which school districts are funded, supporters say. Stevenson said Jeffco schools would get at least $71 million in new funding, if Amendment 66 passes. That would enable
the district to return to 2010 funding levels, she said. Stevenson said that Jeffco voters should not view last year’s passage of a mill levy increase as having solved the district’s budget issues. The revenue raised by initiatives 3A and 3B allowed the district to prevent significant budget cuts, but its funding still falls about $50 million short of levels from a few years ago, she said. Stevenson also said that Colorado’s tax burden would remain in the bottom half among other states in the country, even if the measure passes. And the superintendent said that it’s important for Jeffco teachers to get pay raises, something that hasn’t happened in five years. “I really feel like we have a priority as a community to say that our teacher salaries are important because we want them in our community,” Stevenson said. Tax continues on Page 8
Jefferson County Schools Superintendent Cindy Stevenson talks about Amendment 66 during a Golden town hall meeting on Sept. 21. Photo by Vic Vela
City looks to future
Lakewood hosts first meeting about new comprehensive, sustainability plans By Clarke Reader
creader@ourcoloradonews.com Lakewood planning staff, City Council members and citizens gathered at the Cultural Center Sept. 18 to kick off the process for updating the city’s comprehensive plan and creating its first sustainability plan. The process — called Lakewood 2025: Moving Forward Together — will reexamine what works and what needs to DETAILS be changed in the city’s 10-year-old Schedule of upcoming c o m p re h e n s i v e Lakewood 2025 plan. meetings Meetings will Lakewood be spread out InnovateS - Oct. through October 1 - 5:30 to 8 p.m. and into November, and will look City council chambers, at a variety of top480 S. Allison Parkway ics. Lakewood LIveS “Tonight is Oct. 15 - 5:30 to 8 p.m. the first step, and we’re really lookCity council chambers, ing at trends of the 480 S. Allison Parkway past, and trying to Lakewood MoveS gauge what Lake- Oct. 29 - 5:30 to 8 wood will look like p.m. in the future,” said Holly Boehm, a City council chambers, planner with the 480 S. Allison Parkway city. Lakewood “We think of SuStaInS - Nov. 12 this as our vision 5:30 to 8 p.m. meeting, where we take a look at City council chambers, what we’ve ac480 S. Allison Parkway complished with our last comprehensive plan, and see what the residents want to do next.” Boards were set up all over the lobby of the Cultural Center that provided a City continues on Page 8
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Students at Bear Creek K-8 line up to get a lunch made up entirely of food grown and raised in Colorado, including chicken drumsticks from Boulder Natural Meats and cabbage from Greeley. Photos by Clarke Reader
K-8 celebrates state produce Students served lunch entirely from local growers By Clarke Reader
creader@ourcoloradonews.com Bear Creek K-8 celebrated Colorado Proud Day on Sept. 18 with a meal entirely from Colorado farms and some very special visitors. Colorado Proud Day is a project by Jeffco schools that serves all students in the county healthy, Colorado grown food. Lesley Dahlkemper, president of the Jefferson County Board of Education, Cindy Stevenson, superintendent of Jeffco schools, John Salazar, Colorado Commissioner of Agriculture and representatives from Slow Food and the PEW Charitable Trusts (partners in making the day happen) were all on hand at the school to have lunch with students and talk about natural food. “This has been a big effort for Jeffco. If the biggest school district in the state can do it, than anyone can,” said Jeffco’s Executive Director of Food and Nutrition Services, Linda Stoll. “We really wanted to focus at least one day where all the food students are eating comes from our state.” Students were served coleslaw made from Greeley cabbage
Jeffco Board of Education president Lesley Dahlkemper sits with students at Bear Creek K-8 on Colorado Proud Day to see how they like their meals. and carrots, sweet potato rolls from Harvest Moon Baking Company in Denver, Rocky Ford cantaloupe and scratch-cooked Produce continues on Page 17