Citizens for Jeffco Schools. Support for Jefferson County Public Schools Mill Levy Override and Bond Package Through Research and Facts 3A & 3B

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1 Citizens for Jeffco Schools 3A & 3B Support for Jefferson County Public Schools Mill Levy Override and Bond Package Through Research and Facts August, 2012 Presented by Byron R. Gale, P.E. Chair, Accountability Council, Wilmot Elementary Chair, Evergreen Area, Citizens 4 Jeffco Schools

2 Jeffco Kids Say YES on 3A & 3B! 2

3 Mill Levy Override/Bond Package 3A - Mill Levy Override Allows the district to restore 2 days of school (currently furlough days) Maintain ability to retain and recruit highly qualified teachers Maintain teacher librarians, music programs, and instructional coaches Contributes to charter school funding, Outdoor Lab program, and technology 3B - Bond Package Ensures students and teachers are "warm, safe, and dry" Perform overdue maintenance on our schools $585 million in existing repairs could escalate to $900 million in 5 years On June 7, 2012, Jeffco Board of Education approved ballot measures for a mill levy override of $39 million and a bond package of $99 million for the November election ballot. 3

4 Lesley Dahlkemper announces Jeffco Schools Mill and Bond initiative 3A & 3B 4

5 #10 Colorado ranks 49th out of 50 states in per pupil instruction spending normalized by average personal income. Rank State Per Pupil Instruction Spending* per $1,000 of personal income 1 NY $ AK $ VT $ NJ $ WV $30.76 Rank State Average Teacher Salary Median Household Income Ratio 1 NY $57,354 $50, % 2 IL $58,686 $53, % 3 MI $54,739 $50, % 4 MS $40,576 $37, % 5 PA $54,027 $50, % US Avg $ SD $ AZ $ CO $ FL $ DC $ 8.20 * Includes only teacher salaries and benefits Source: Public Education Finances: 2009 U.S. Census Bureau 47 CO $44,439 $62,217 71% 48 VA $43,823 $61,710 71% 49 SD $34,709 $49,901 70% 50 UT $40,007 $59,062 68% 51 NH $45,263 $68,175 66% Source: Teacherportal.com averaged salary data from multiple sources, including the National Education Association, job surveys, and private data analyses. Median household income based on US Census Data for 2 year average over

6 #9 Jeffco Public Schools has demonstrated fiscal responsibility by strategically reducing expenditures by $78 million over four years while minimizing the impact on classrooms. History of Reductions Savings & Efficiencies 2009 / $11,892, / $13,815, / $37,467, / $15,000,000 $78,174,800 Expenditure reductions, savings and efficiencies have impacted bottom line expenditures and offset other required increases. 6

7 #8 Jeffco Public Schools efficiently allocates 84 cents of each dollar spent toward classroom instruction for academic excellence. Jeffco: Money Spent in the Right Places for Academic Excellence The Board of Education worked hard to protect our classrooms and schools despite the reductions in state funding. We collaborated with our community, our employees, and our district leadership to sustain our conservative financial path and preserve our traditions of excellence. --Lesley Dahlkemper, President, Jeffco Board of Education 7

8 #7 Case studies indicate the correlation between school (and school district) funding/quality and real estate values. Douglas County School District % to 10% of your home value is directly tied to the quality of the school district. Based on National Education Association paper: K-12 Education in The U.S. Economy; Its Impact on Economic Development, Earning, and Housing Values Refers back to 9 different studies Some relate home values to school testing scores. All but one study documented a 2% - 6% increase in home value; the last documented 10%. School quality is the most important cause of the variation in constant-quality house prices. -Doug Hutchins, Douglas County Realtor (2008) References study, The Impact of School Quality on Real Home Prices: Interjurisdictional Effects 8

9 #6b Colorado has the 11 th lowest state and local tax burden per capita among the 50 states. State a) Total State and Local Per Capita Taxes Paid b) Per Capita Income State & Local Tax Rate (a/b) Rank (1 = Highest Rate) NJ $6,751 $55, % 1 NY $6,157 $51, % 2 CT $7,256 $60, % 3 USA $4,160 $42, % CO $4,011 $46, % 39 SD $3,042 $40, NV $3,311 $44, % 49 AK $2,973 $46, % 50 Source: State and Local Tax Burdens: All States 2009 published by The Tax Foundation 9

10 #6a Jeffco and Colorado homeowners pay far less than the national average in real estate taxes as a percentage of home value. United States Colorado Adams County Douglas County Arapahoe County Jefferson County Larimer County Weld County Boulder County Denver County Number of Owneroccupied housing units with a mortgage 50,339, ,765 77,286 73, , ,546 58,656 47,613 57,140 99,061 Median Home Value $197,300 $243,300 $195,300 $329,400 $225,000 $261,400 $248,600 $193,100 $355,400 $257,000 Median Real Estate Taxes Paid Real Estate Taxes Paid as a percent of Home Value $2,319 $1,508 $1,670 $2,577 $1,555 $1,802 $1,602 $1,240 $2,150 $1, % 0.62% 0.86% 0.78% 0.69% 0.69% 0.64% 0.64% 0.60% 0.54% Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 American Community Survey 10

11 #5 There is a strong correlation between improved student achievement and measures of teacher quality confirming the need for a quality teacher in every classroom. Denver Metro Area District 3rd Grade Reading CSAP % profcnt. or adv. Student Achievement Teachers' Qualifications Student Demographics 8th Grade Math CSAP % profcnt. or adv Dropout Rate Avg. Years Total Education Experience Level of Education (% MA or higher) % of K 12 Students Eligible for Free or Reduced Lunch Average Teacher Salary BOULDER VALLEY RE % # % $58,123 LITTLETON % # % $57,085 DOUGLAS COUNTY RE % # % $52,805 CHERRY CREEK % # % $61,590 JEFFERSON COUNTY R % # % $55,116 ST VRAIN VALLEY RE 1J % # % $49,279 ADAMS % # % $53,711 BRIGHTON 27J % # % $48,993 ENGLEWOOD % # % $56,279 ADAMS COUNTY % # % $47,472 DENVER COUNTY % # % $49,432 ADAMS ARAPAHOE 28J % # % $53,807 MAPLETON % # % $48,969 SHERIDAN % # % $48,183 WESTMINSTER % # % $57,158 Sources: Colorado Department of Education Human Resources Data Collection, Annual CSAP Scores, and October 1 Student Headcount 11

12 #4 It will restore two days of school; enable highly qualified teachers; maintain teacher librarians, music programs, and instructional coaches; and contribute to charter school funding, Outdoor Lab, and technology. 12

13 #3 Will help offset otherwise necessary budget cuts during and preserve the associated teaching positions. 13

14 #2 The net impact to the average Jefferson County homeowner is an incremental $3/month, or a dime a day 14

15 #1 It will help continue Jeffco s tradition of academic excellence, performance, and continuous improvement through great teachers, great schools, and great communities. Four Jeffco high schools in U.S. News and World Report Top 500 Colorado Ranking National Ranking D Evelyn #3 #124 Lakewood #14 #429 Evergreen #15 #440 Conifer #16 #454 Jeffco s Graduation Rate Tied for Second in the Nation Out of the 50 largest school districts Jeffco outperforms the State in TCAP results In all grade levels and content areas 15

16 No on 3A & 3B? Seriously? 16

17 17

18 Thank-you! 18