The following resolution was recently passed by the Monte Vista School District board of directors: RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF BALLOT INITIATIVE TO INCREASE FUNDING FOR EDUCATION WHEREAS, the Monte Vista School District C-8 Board of Education is a public entity that provides educational services to children in the Monte Vista School District; and WHEREAS, the State of Colorado has faced multiple years of budget shortfalls resulting in more than $1 billion in cuts and lost funding to K-12 over the past four years [with a loss of $4,763,000 in funding to Monte Vista School District]; and WHEREAS, despite slight increases in K-12 spending for 2013-2014, Colorado school districts continue to experience financial difficulties due to persistent economic constraints, declines in revenues and increases in fixed costs such as insurance, fuel and utilities; WHEREAS, these cuts and lost funding have been implemented despite the Legislature’s passage of multiple significant reform efforts, including but not limited to the Preschool to Postsecondary Education Alignment Act (CAP4K) (Senate Bill 08-212), the Education Accountability Act of 2009 (Senate Bill 09-163), the Educator Effectiveness Law (Senate Bill 10-191), and the Colorado READ Act (House Bill 12-1238); and WHEREAS, reduced funding is directly impacting the district’s ability to provide meaningful educational opportunities for all students and to implement existing and proposed education reforms; and WHEREAS, the proposed ballot initiative to amend the Colorado Constitution and Colorado Revised Statutes will appear as Amendment 66 in the November 5, 2013 election and, if passed by the voters of the State of Colorado, will result in an income tax rate increase for Colorado citizens from 4.63% to 5% for those with a federal taxable income of $75,000 or less and to 5.9% for federal taxable income over $75,000 [the median household income in Rio Grande County is $37,885 which would result in an income tax increase of approximately $140 for the average Rio Grande County household]; and WHEREAS, the ballot initiative would require 43% of state revenues in any given year be specifically allocated to provide increased funding for Colorado’s public education system; and WHEREAS, the increase in state tax revenues will liberate state funds for spending in other significant areas of need in Colorado; WHEREAS, this increase in public education funding will significantly benefit the children of Colorado and, specifically, the children of the Monte Vista School District by enabling the District to better provide educational services to children in the District; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Monte Vista School District C-8 Board of Education officially declares its support of Amendment 66 to increase state income tax rates for the purpose of increasing funding of public education in the State of Colorado.
Posted on: Fri, 27 Sep 2013 15:14:18 +0000