News from School District 49

This November Falcon School District 49 will ask voters to approve a tax increase, also known as a mill-levy override, which will give the district as much as 8.5 million a year for 30 years for new schools and expansion of existing ones. Why has the district chosen to ask voters for tax increase versus a new bond issue? The district’s immediate needs include a new high school, a middle school and two elementary schools just to accommodate their current student population. The district has 13 schools; all are at or over capacity. The maximum amount of debt the district is allowed by law cannot be more than 25 percent of total assessed value of all real property in the school district. Currently, that leaves $33 million available for another bond issue – not enough to meet its immediate needs, let alone plan for the districts future needs.As the fastest-growing school district in Colorado, D-49 faces three issues unique to its district: unabated growth, the state funding program for K-12 schools and the lack of commercial development. The district’s student population is averaging 11 percent growth per year. This equates to an additional 1,100 students per year.Capital Pacific, the developer for the Banning-Lewis Ranch, has projected an additional 1,400 students per year and has plans of 28 school sites in its development alone. While D-49 officials will seek to partner with all the builders of the Banning-Lewis Ranch as it has with others, developers are only required to contribute land or pay a fee of about $600 per parcel to the school district. D-49 did receive a $3.5 million dollar contribution to build the first half of Meridian Ranch Elementary School, located in the eastern part of the district. It is also important to note that while the school district does not have any voice in land development, it is required to pay for road construction that connects to its schools as well as connections to gas, electric, water and sewer lines.The second issue facing D-49 is how the state funds schools. D-49 is the 12th lowest-funded school in the state (out of 122) on a per-pupil basis. According to the Colorado School Finance Act, three factors can change the average amount of per-pupil funding each district receives: cost of living (areas such as Aspen get more), size (small districts get more funds per student) and the number of high-risk students (districts with more high-risk students receive more). D-49 officials estimate state funding losses of over three million dollars a year. Amendment 23, passed in 2000, was to ensure adequate funding of K-12 schools by increasing funding by inflation plus 1 percent each year. However, Amendment 23 does not address construction and expansion costs – D-49’s most urgent need.The third major issue facing D-49 is the lack of commercial development, especially in the Falcon area where several new housing developments are in progress. Only 18 percent of the total assessed value in 2003 came from commercial sources. For most districts, over 60 percent of the tax burden comes from commercial and industrial sources. This commercial versus residential assessment severely limits D-49’s bonding capacity and creates a much larger tax burden on homeowners in the district compared to other districts. One way to help reverse this trend is for the city of Colorado Springs and El Paso County to stop re-zoning property from commercial to residential. The D-49 school board said they have addressed this issue with both the city of Colorado Springs and the El Paso County Commissioners to no avail. The mill-levy override will cost homeowners about $8 per $100,000 of assessed home values.So what will the taxpayer receive for their $77 million in capital improvements?

• A 1,600 student high school in Meridian Ranch
• Converting Falcon High School to a 900-student middle school
• Two 450 student elementary schools on the west side of the district
• Expanding three elementary schools: Evans, Meridian Ranch and Spring Ranch
• A 900-student middle school in Indigo Ranch

District 49 officials are reminding voters that the 1998 and 2001 bond issues provided more permanent facilities than promised. By advantageous bidding, prudent investment of bond proceeds, and supervision of projects, the district was able to do an additional $1 million in improvements at existing schools. If the mill-levy override passes, a citizen’s oversight committee will oversee the monies and ensure that it goes where the district says it will.Superintendent Ron Wynn said that he wants to make it very clear to voters that this mill-levy override will fund building projects for the current student population – not future students. The current growth projections show District Falcon 49 will continue to be the fastest-growing district in the state for years to come. It will by no means be the last time the district will be forced to go back to the taxpayers, according to D-49 officials.If the mill-levy override issue fails, D-49 will be forced to look at other alternatives, such as year-round schools and increased class sizes, while re-evaluating all programs that impact space. It is also possible that property values will decrease, as one of the most important factors in home values is good schools. While D-49 admits using a mill-levy override is an unusual, even desperate measure, it is the only one available that will raise the funds needed to get the kids out of trailers and back into real classrooms.Specific school projects – more on mill levyThe Falcon School District 49 Board of Education voted unanimously on Sept. 2 to refer a mill levy override to this November’s ballot. The revenue will go toward the following projects:

• Two new elementary schools of 450 students each, one in the Bridlespur area, the other in the Claremont Ranch area, which will relieve overcrowding at Ridgeview, Evans and Stetson elementary schools
• Complete Evans Elementary School by adding two classrooms, an art room, renovated computer lab, preschool classroom and a media center
• Complete Springs Ranch Elementary School to a capacity of 600 students
• Complete Meridian Ranch Elementary School to a capacity of 600 students
• Build a new high school in the Meridian Ranch area with a capacity of 1600 students
• Convert Falcon High School to a middle school with a capacity of 900 students
• Build a new middle school in the Indigo Ranch area with a capacity of 900 students
• Renovating, expanding, improving and/or converting schools

The revenues would provide additional technology for students and teachers and assist in attracting and retaining new teachers as the district grows. As has been the custom in D 49, a committee of district citizens will oversee the expenditure of the revenue.Falcon School District is the fastest growing of the 178 school districts in Colorado and has been for the last decade. So far this year, over 1,100 additional students have entered district schools, which were already over capacity. As many as 20,000 more students are expected in the coming decade.Savings from under-budget bond projects, added to money saved through conservative budgeting, provided at least 29 additional mortar and brick classrooms throughout the district, without asking taxpayers for any additional funds; however, the rate of growth has reached the point where it is overwhelming the district.Board President Paul Bryant said, “We have reached the point where even modulars are too expensive. The district simply cannot afford to buy the numbers of trailers needed to house all the additional students.” Commitment for Kids Committee Co-Chair Shyrl Springer added, “The quality of education and programs in Falcon schools has improved steadily over the last few years. This mill override is essential if that quality is to be maintained.”If the mill levy override does not pass, it will be for the second time in two years and both Bryant and administrators say the district will have to recognize that the public wants the district to do business differently. Repercussions to programs, facilities, scheduling and staffing will have to be for the long term, not just for one or two years. The 2005-2006 school year would be a transitional year, allowing the district to develop an alternative calendar for future school years.Classes will get larger with no new rooms in which to put additional students. To use every free room, some teachers will have to go on carts; that is, float from room to room as one is available. Teachers may not be able to use their own rooms for their planning periods, as a “cart” teacher would need the space. Rooms not intended to hold classes, such as gyms, cafeterias and libraries, could become classrooms, reducing their availability for their intended purposes and adding to district maintenance costs.And every program will be evaluated for its impact on classroom space, with close scrutiny given to any that go beyond the minimum required level of education.