May 14, 2015 VOLU M E 1 0 | I S SUE 50
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North Arvada wonders: Where are the seats? School board gives $15 million, but rest of funding a mystery By Crystal Anderson
canderson@colorado communitymedia.com The Jefferson County School Board approved $15 million to help fund a new school in Northwest Arvada, yet questions around the utilization of these funds, the location, and how that school will look remain unanswered. “I don’t understand all the nuances of what it means to take money out of the underspend,” said Darcie Bolton Weiser, a parent at Meiklejohn Elementary School. “I’m afraid that maybe that’s not the most effective way to use those dollars.” During the board’s budget development talk, Board President Ken Witt made the motion to use the dollars from this year’s budget underspend — savings from various funds — to fund the creation of a new school in Northwest Arvada. “I believe we have available funds of $15 million, I believe we have an acute need for construction of a new facility in the Northwest Corridor and I believe we should use those funds to accomplish that,” he said. The $15 million would pay for a portion of what the district’s facilities team has sug-
gested – building a $25 million state-of-theart K-8 school at the Table Rock location, located at 58th Avenue and Highway 93. The 10-acre site would accommodate the 800-1,000 students, and would bring relief to the overcrowding at nearby West Woods and Meiklejohn Elementary schools. The new school would also affect the boundaries for those in the Arvada West, Golden and Ralston Valley articulation areas “The schools that we build, the schools that we are proposing, will be state of the art schools appropriate to the educational needs of today’s students,” said Facilities Executive Director Tim Reed. This move, while many note is a step towards solving the issue, raised concerns about whether that is the right way to spend the dollars, while other longstanding projects, such as the Sierra Elementary Phase II build out (also in Arvada), hang in the balance. “They have to act in tandem if we’re going to do this,” said Jeffco Superintendent Dan McMinimee of completing the Sierra project and building a new school. “There’s four or five schools that will be impacted … We recognize there’s going to be additional seats put up in the North Area, but we’re trying to manage the movement of boundaries multiple times.” A disconnect continues between the board and district staff regarding funding.
Inside West Woods Elementary School, many classrooms, such as this 29-student half-day kindergarten class, are at their limit for capacity. Normally, this class should be 20-22 students. Photo by Crystal Anderson According to facilities staff, the only way to build a new school and finish the Sierra Project, would be by the purchase of $40 million in Certificates of Participations (COP). For the board majority, this isn’t an option, and the three asked the district staff to look into and report back with any other funding ideas and surplus sites that could be liquidated to raise the needed funds. For now, no concrete long-term plan has
TIME TO REMEMBER
been established to solve the over capacity issue for current and future students at West Woods and Meiklejohn Elementary Schools. “Now we have $15 million dollars … for what?” Bolton Weiser said. “Nothing happened. There’s $15 million sort of sitting in a black hole — we really have no more answers now than we did nine months ago.”
Vaping banned in public places In-store sampling still allowed By Crystal Anderson
canderson@coloradocommunitymedia.com
Following the unveiling of the Vicory Clock, a testament to the legacy left behind by Olde Town business owner Justin Vicory, family and friends gathered around his wife, DeeDee, for a hug and to celebrate his life. Photo by Clarke Reader
In a 5-2 vote, the Arvada City Council banned the use of vaporizers and other electronic smoking devices in public places. The ordinance, which was passed during a May 4 Arvada City Council public hearing, didn’t allow sampling within vapor retailers as originally written, an aspect many said is crucial to the success of not only the business, but to the consumer as well. “My standpoints on this issue are quite complicated,” said Sari Isaak, a member of the vaping community. “Many people who find they cannot quit smoking cigarettes with the patches or the gum, they fall short on it and come to us in the vaping community looking for another answer.” For vapers, like Isaak, the issue around the ordinance wasn’t about vaping publicly, but rather the language restricting the retailers’ and consumers’ ability to sample various e-juices. “In-store sampling is what concerns us the most … It’s a very consultative experience among our businesses,” said Mike Weber, president of the Colorado Vape Association. “Instore sampling is essential — it’s part of our practice, and by banning it will drive businesses out of Arvada.” Following the hearing and some council discussion, Councilman John Marriott proposed an amendment to allow specialty vapor stores, such as Arvada’s Elements of Vapor and Vapor Clouds, to sample out flavored e-juice to consumers and potential customers within the store prior to making a purchase. “These businesses that exist in Arvada, these are valuable members of our community,” Marriott said. “I think this amendment allows 99 percent of what Mr. Doyle and other anti-smoking people want to gain, which is the use of vapor devices in public will not happen … the only exception is that businesses that are currently operating will be able to operate as is.” With much rejoicing from the audience, the amendment passed 6-1, with Councilman Bob Fifer opposing, due to his desire for the ban to to have no exceptions. With the amendment, the ordinance specifically bans the use of electronic smoking devices, such as e-cigarettes and vaporizers, any place where smoking is currently illegal. It places a ban on the use of such devices or the selling of these devices to minors, but allows for specialty vapor stores (which derive a majority of their income from the sales of these devices and their accessories) to sample out products prior to purchase. “For me the compelling evidence and testimony is that because of all the different flavors and the ability to be able to try different types, particularly for individuals who are trying to get off smoking,” said Mayor Marc Williams, “it makes sense to allow the sampling.”