Education initiative scores first big win

    The Great Schools, Thriving Communities campaign delivered more than 170,000 signatures to the office of Colorado Secretary of State Wayne Williams on Wednesday, July 11, to conclude the signature-gathering stage of Initiative 93.
    GSTC was created to promote the 2018 ballot initiative and improve education funding across Colorado. Upon approval of the signatures, the proposal will appear on the Nov. 6 Colorado ballot.
    The campaign was inspired by a diverse and inclusive coalition of education-connected organizations working to advance better and more equitable funding of public schools.
    If passed, Initiative 93 will raise corporate taxes and taxes on individuals earning more than $150,000 annually. It will also lock in property tax rates after an across-the-board cut.
    Resulting revenue will go toward increasing base funding, establishing full-day kindergarten programs, expanding the definition of “at-risk” students, and bolstering English language learner, gifted and talented education and special education programs.
    Northeast BOCES Executive Director Bret Miles said the passage of the initiative would be a win for rural communities, where school districts are often major employers.
    “They would be looking to add more people, add more to salaries or both,” he said.
    Currently, the only way for districts to collect additional operating funds is through ballot measures, called mill levy overrides, which locally increase property taxes.
    Holyoke School District Re-1J has seen a $500,000 reduction in overall funding since the 2009-10 school year. GSTC says the initiative would raise $1.1 million for the district, which is the equivalent of a 14.5 mill levy override.
    Miles said Initiative 93 will also benefit local farmers by paving the way for the potential rollback of mill levy overrides and enacting an immediate cut in the state property tax.
    Because Initiative 93 would amend the state constitution, to get it on the ballot, GSTC had to gather signatures from at least 2 percent of registered voters in each of Colorado’s 35 senate districts, which is required by the 2016 Raise the Bar amendment.
    Initiative 93 is the first ballot initiative in Colorado to successfully turn in signatures representing 2 percent of voters across all 35 Colorado senate districts since the passage of Amendment 71 two years ago.
    Wednesday’s ceremony was held in Alamo Placita Park in Denver. It celebrated the contributions of volunteers, and included food and entertainment. The signatures were delivered to the office of the secretary of state by a convoy of volunteer cars.