In the fall of 2008, the world economy underwent a severe downturn, the likes of which we have not experienced as a nation since the Great Depression. The state and local economies were not spared as local sales tax revenues dropped, the local Real Estate Transfer Tax payments dried up, and school funding began to see a precipitous decline, both locally and statewide. Since 2009, the district has lost nearly $2.8 million dollars of funding from the State of Colorado. For the current school year, the State of Colorado will underfund our district by $1,697 per student. During the same period, the District has added over 50 new students across the four schools.

As a parent, I was happy to see that the school board and the administration were able to creatively reduce expenditures in ways that did not directly impact classroom teachers or result in cutting of specific programs, such as band, art or physical education. Through selective spending cuts, deferring capital purchases of such things as computers and other technology for the classroom, implementation of new fees, such as the athletic participation fee and transportation fees for field trips, the district survived. Coupled with spending from reserves set aside in better times, the district did not lay off classroom teachers.  

However, the district has nearly eliminated teacher training and continuing education, both of which are shown to be critical to attracting, developing, and retaining highly effective teachers. The district decided to reduce the amount of money being put into reserves for long-term capital expenses, such as new boiler systems, roof repairs, and general maintenance of the buildings.  At the same time, the district was not able to implement new programs and new initiatives to improve upon our children’s educations.  Eventually, these practices will have a deleterious effect on the education our schools are able to provide to our students.  

Today, in 2012, with a new and dynamic administrative team in place with clear plans to take our kids’ educational experience to the next level, we need to ask ourselves, as voters, if we want to support new spending in the schools. Or, if satisfied with the status quo, are we prepared to see a gradual erosion of the quality we have come to expect, a continued increase in the number of children in each class, and, over time, a recognition that our kids are not as well prepared for post-secondary education as we would like. I trust that you, like me, want to see the bar continue to be raised in our public schools in Telluride.

To help partially restore its funding and avoid further cuts to personnel or programs, the district may propose a mill levy override to raise $800,000 to support new initiatives as outlined below.  Voters in the Telluride R-1 School District will receive a tax cut next year of 2.5 mills following the final payment of a previously voter approved bond.  The district is considering seeking approval from voters this year to keep 0.99 mills of the tax cut. If the proposed mill levy override were to pass, taxpayers would realize a reduction in school taxes of 1.5 mills. The combined effect of the tax cut and the mill levy override would reduce taxes next year by $63.68 on a $500,000 home and $232.00 on a commercial property of the same value.  

This truly represents a great opportunity for the community to show its support for the schools, while benefiting from an overall reduction in taxes due to the payment of previously issued bonds, and allow the schools to realize additional financial resources that will have a meaningful impact in the classrooms.

Currently, the district is looking at allocating the proposed mill levy override moneys as follows: $290,000 toattract and retain highly effective teachers, improve classroom teaching skills, and implement ways to measure and increase a teacher’s classroom effectiveness;  $240,000 for technology improvements; $140,000 for hands-on learning opportunities to support areas such as mentoring programs, language learning programs and partnerships with local and regional educational not-for-profit agencies; and $130,000 for capital improvements and maintenance.  

The money from this proposed mill levy override will provide our students with the necessary tools and equipment for learning; provide increased opportunities for our students to engage in hands-on learning; provide better classroom instruction from our teachers while allowing for increased monitoring and development of teacher’s skills; and allow the district the ability to maintain the buildings our taxpayers have built.

I am writing this commentary as an individual and my views do not necessarily reflect those of the Telluride R-1 Board of Education, its individual members, or the staff of the Telluride R-1 School District.

If you have any questions, concerns, or thoughts on the proposed mill levy vote, please contact me either at paulr@lizardhead.net, or by telephone at 708-1012.  Thank you.