School bond, mill levy make November ballot

Arvada City Council unanimously voted July 19 to endorse a $99 million bond and $39 million mill levy that would both benefit Jeffco Public Schools.

“We feel that taxpayers have the right to expect quality results from their dollars, and so that’s why we should be proud to support the Jefferson County school district bond issue and mill-levy override,” said Mayor Pro Tem Rachel Zenzinger.

Members of the “Yes on 3A and 3B” campaign attended the meeting to hear if council would add its name to the list of supporters.

“We’re absolutely delighted,” said Shawna Fritzler, an Arvada articulation-area vice president for Jeffco PTA and a Jeffco parent in support of the issues. “The endorsements that we have are really exceptional areas. We have the West Jeffco Metro Chamber, our board of education; we have a really huge list of supporters from the community.”

Issue 3A, the mill-levy portion of the ballot issue, will be used to maintain class sizes and programs, restore two school days, recruit better teachers and improve classroom instruction.

The bond, issue 3B, will be used for facility maintenance to keep students safe, warm and dry.

If both issues pass, residents will see an increase of $1.23 per month per $100,000 of assessed home value, meaning an average home worth $250,000 will see an annual tax increase of $36.70.

“This is going to help support the kids in all of Jefferson County,” Fritzler said. “It’s not just my school, but all of Jeffco.”

Arvada City Council voted without discussion at the July 19 meeting to pass the resolution supporting the issues.

“What I’m really thrilled about is it was unanimous,” said Jeffco Superintendent Cindy Stevenson. “They asked the hard questions, they pushed on us, and I was excited for the kids in Jefferson County because they took that leadership.”

Zenzinger said people can easily be distracted from their mission of educating children while maintaining and operating 153 schools in Colorado’s largest school district, but the district is still able to maintain an 85.5 percent graduation rate, ranking it third in the nation among larger districts.

“It’s reassuring to know our Jeffco educators are doing their part, and so now I think it’s important for our community to be willing to do our part by supplying the needed funding to keep our students safe, warm and dry.”