Some say they have paid their dues. The kids are grown, and they should not have to pay additional taxes to support the school system. Others say the developers should defray taxpayers’ costs by anteing up with more monies to build schools. Yet others believe the best way to resolve the school issue is to stop the growth.On the other side, educators and school supporters say that educating our children is the only way to ensure anyone’s future.As School District 49 Board of Directors and administrators prepare to go back to the voters this fall with another mill levy override, last year’s no-vote is hanging over their heads. Contemplating how to embrace everyone in the community, including the naysayer, is a formidable task for D 49 supporters and members of the School District 49 Facility Study Committee.Getting people to the polls is equally tough.In November 2003, a $62.75 mill levy override was defeated in School District 49. Of the district’s 24,352 voters, 6,776 voted, and the tax increase lost by 438 votes. According to the January/February 2004 issue of the district’s newsletter, the Falcon Flyer, “voter apathy was 73.31 percent, ranging from a low of 60.1 percent in precinct 361 to a high of 100 percent in precinct 325, where the precinct’s one registered voter chose not to participate. If more people had turned out at the polls, the vote easily could have swung the other way.”Mark Maksimowicz, former superintendent of D 49, no longer owns any of the problems. However, the day before he headed west to assume his superintendent duties with the Dysart Unified School District in Arizona, Maksimowizc talked about D 49 and the importance of the mill levy override. “We thought it was a slam dunk last year, but there are a lot of variables with a fast-growing school district,” Maksimowizc said. “The challenges are there, but people have to realize the country was founded on an education track – the same track that all of us came through. And there needs to be a feeling of connection between all residents and the school district.”It is not easy for everyone to feel a connection to something when living on fixed incomes. Seniors may want to support education, but it is not easy when a potential property tax increase threatens their quality of life. In 2000, Colorado voters amended the state constitution through the creation of a property tax exemption for seniors at least 65 years old who owned and occupied their homes for at least 10 consecutive years prior to Jan. 1, 2000. For qualified seniors, 50 percent of the first $200,000 of the property’s actual value was exempted. The Colorado Legislature has the ability to determine the exemptions for each tax year, and, for the fiscal years 2003/2004 and 2004/2005, the exemption was set at zero.Other Colorado amendments have appeased taxpayers and redefined funding for school districts and state budgets.The Gallagher and Tabor amendments and Amendment 23 are reeking a bit of havoc with the state budget because of tax limitations. The Gallagher Amendment limits residential property taxes. Here’s how: Gallagher requires that, out of all taxable property values assessed statewide, the assessed value on residential property can account for only 45 percent of the total value; the assessed value of commercial property accounts for the remaining 55 percent.Gallagher also limits the portion of a commercial property’s value, subject to property taxes, to 29 percent. In short, commercial property owners’ property tax has not increased. However, commercial property owners say they are paying the price because business properties account for just 25 percent of Colorado’s total property values, but the commercial owners are paying 55 percent of all property taxes. There is no doubt the Gallagher Amendment has saved homeowners a bunch of money – an estimated $7 billion since 1987. In 1982, the assessment rate for homes was 30 percent; today it is approximately 8 percent.How does Gallagher affect schools? Schools receive 60 percent of all property taxes, and, as property taxes plummet, so does the percentage that goes to the schools.Enter the TABOR Amendment in 1992. The TABOR Amendment limits all taxes and requires voter approval to increase or decrease taxes or impose new taxes. TABOR also prohibits an increase in the assessment rate for any class of property without voter approval. TABOR limits tax revenues.How does TABOR affect schools? Tax revenues are allowed, under TABOR, to increase by a growth factor only. The annual allowable growth factor for school districts is inflation plus a percentage increase in student enrollment. Any revenues in excess must be refunded to the voters, unless approved otherwise.Amendment 23 passed in November 2000, mandating three provisions to the state constitution: The Legislature is required to increase K-12 (per student) funding by at least the rate of inflation plus 1 percent through 2011 and 2012. Post 2012, funding must increase annually by at least the rate of inflation. Amendment 23 also created the state education fund, which is funded through state income tax revenues in an amount equal to one-third of the federal taxable income. Amendment 23 requires that the state’s general fund contribution to K-12 education be increased by at least 5 percent annually through 2011/2012.How does Amendment 23 affect schools? State funds are now what legislators refer to as the “backfill” for the school systems, using general fund income and sales taxes to support K-12. TABOR and Gallagher amendments decreased the proportion of property taxes to schools, but the state has picked up the burden and perhaps compromised other programs like health care, social services and higher education.Colorado lawmakers are looking at initiatives and referendums to repeal the constitutional amendments. In the end, however, any amendment change requires a statewide vote of the people.And the people need to exercise their right to vote, said Al Green, resident of D 49.Green, who supplied the NFH with the above tax information, said, “Our school district is shaped by the voters.” He added, “The growth train is here, and we can’t afford to romanticize about yesteryear. If we are not educating, we are not gearing ourselves up to compete in this nation. We support law enforcement, even though we may never need it. When did we absolve ourselves from our obligation to society?” The people spoke when TABOR, Amendment 23 and Gallagher passed, and now it may be time to go back to the table and revisit the long-term effects of those amendments.As one of the fastest growing school districts in Colorado, with 13 schools and one charter school, the number of rooftops in D 49 is obviously dictating the need for increased school funding, Green said. Development first went to the Powers corridor, and now it’s in Falcon. You can’t stop it, Green said, and it is now a matter of educating the public to the issues.By state law, the school district administrators and teachers are limited to what they can publicly promote or say about the ballot issue once the ballot language is submitted to the state in last summer or early fall. Maksimowicz reiterated, “It’s the fair campaign law, and everyone directly associated with the school (working for the school) walks a fine line as to what they can say about the ballot issue.”School districts that educate and gather early support from the public are ahead of the game come November, Green said. And he is hopeful the people will take responsibility for becoming informed and feel obligated to, at the least, cast a vote.What about the developers and their obligations to education?Developers are legally required to provide land for schools, not the buildings.The D 49 Citizens Facility Study Committee is recommending another mill levy override to take to the voters this fall. The Falcon Flyer addressed the recommendations in the most recent edition. The New Falcon Herald will focus on some of those recommendations in the August edition.Meanwhile, meet interim superintendent Dr. Ron WynnDr. Ron Wynn officially comes on board as the School District 49 interim superintendent on July 1. The district’s board of directors did not want to waste valuable time, considering the issues, searching nationwide for a new superintendent when Mark Maksimowicz resigned, so they chose Wynn over five other candidates as the interim superintendent for a period of one year. The long-range goal, Wynn said, is to find the best fit for the job, and Wynn may win that seat, depending on how it all stacks up. He will be eligible to apply for the job on a permanent basis at year’s end. Meanwhile, Wynn plans to “give 200 percent” to the kids, the staff and the community. Coming in to the fastest growing school district in El Paso County is no bed of roses, especially when voters said no to a mill levy override for the district less than one year ago. Wynn knows he has a few challenges ahead. But he’s no slouch, and he’s not going to be a sitting duck. Wynn is determined to get the voters approval this time around. “I will be all over the place,” Wynn said. “I want to talk to the ranchers, the parents, the business leaders and the seniors – everyone. Communication is vital at this point, and I don’t want anyone saying they don’t know about the issues or the plans.”When he was offered the superintendent position at D 49, Wynn was the chief of staff for School District 11, the largest school district in El Paso County. He had been with D11 for 20 years and, previously, with the Widefield School District for eight years. Wynn has a master’s in counseling from Emporia State University in Kansas, and a doctorate in education administration.Wynn is hoping to shed light on the negatives surrounding growth and the request for increased taxes. “We can’t pack the kids in like sardines and expect them to achieve,” Wynn said. “They deserve the best that we can afford. We all need to be visionary. We can’t go with the notion ‘don’t build and they won’t come.’ They are already here.”Wynn is aware of the area’s issues that residents presented at the school district town forums held in January and February. Some of the concerns and questions brought to the forefront by forum attendees: No more growth. How do we better utilize our schools? School leaders did a poor job of outlining where the additional monies would go. Why can’t I, as a private citizen, use the facilities? What about people on fixed incomes? What about the developers’ obligations?Wynn is prepared to address the concerns, but he cautions that it takes time to intercept all of the issues and implement new ways of doing things. “We need to start slow and then start checking off the list,” Wynn said. “I will listen to the constituents, and we will be talking about controlled growth and asking developers what more they can bring to the table. We can’t completely eliminate tax support, but we may be able to look at ways to bring more money upfront.”In answer to the person who doesn’t see a need to continue supporting the schools because their children are grown, Wynn said people need to realize their property values are directly related to quality schools and a sound infrastructure. “I don’t know any way to stop growth, so our neighborhoods and schools need to be top quality,” Wynn said. “Colorado is an attractive place to live, and it is still affordable. People are looking for quality places to live, and we have to be realistic.”Wynn realizes, too, that he will be leading a school district that encompasses two-to-three very different communities. From kids who drive sports cars to kids who ride horses, the lifestyles are distinct and somewhat clashing; however, the end goal is the same. “Every kid in the district should be treated fairly and equitably and have the same expectations with regard to education,” Wynn said. “I want to do all I can to build a sense of community and close the gaps by providing continuity throughout the system.”While building a sense of community throughout D 49, Wynn wants to make sure Falcon maintains its identity. One way to do that, he said, is to build trust. Falcon is a community of diverse people, but everyone wants honesty and truth from the leaders of the school districts to the government leaders. “I don’t want a message out there that people can’t trust us,” Wynn said. “We are asking for support, and we’d better tell the people where their money will be targeted and do exactly what we tell them. We all need to speak the same language.”
