This year the General Assembly passed HB 16-1354, the Debt-Free Schools Act. It allows school districts to exceed the current cap on revenue raised from mill levy overrides if they set up a supplemental fund for capital construction, maintenance and/or technology. The earmarked money may not be used to repay debt.
After TABOR passed in 1992, the Public School Finance Act of 1994 attempted to equalize funding among school districts across the state. However, the recent trend in the General Assembly to allow individual districts to ask their voters for more money by increasing the revenue caps or allowing exceptions to the caps puts the statewide equalization principle in jeopardy. Districts with many generous donors such as BVSD are fortunate that they can bring in more revenue.
In 2010 the General Assembly allowed a new funding formula, which BVSD voters approved, permitting the district to adjust the property tax mill levy as needed to collect the maximum allowed – 25% of total program funding. BVSD is not required to collect the maximum, but it seems doubtful that they would be asking for another property tax increase if they hadn’t already maxed out on the previous permanent tax increase.
This in-perpetuity property tax would start at about 1.7 mills and could increase by up to 1 mill each year until it reaches the cap of 4 mills. The school board vote for Resolution 16-28B was 5-2 in favor of putting this property tax on the ballot.
Recommendation: no/against
The Debt-Free Schools Act provides a tool for districts to plan for and fund maintenance, an area which BVSD has not been funding adequately based on the amount of deferred maintenance in the 2014 voter-approved capital construction bond. Generally, I would support an ongoing fund for maintenance, but I’m not ready to endorse it so soon after the huge 2014 bond and the 2010 maximum mill levy override. In 2010 I wrote that passing the mill levy override would mean that voters “would never vote on another override in the future (unless the state legislature increases the ceiling again…)”
The pro-3A campaign points out that the new revenue will free up money from the regular budget for instructional purposes, but opponents wonder how much will go to hire more Ed Center administrators with big salaries. Some would say that BVSD saw a new opportunity to ask for more money and is counting on generous voters to reflexively approve the request without determining that recent property tax increases have been spent wisely.
Website for the Yes Side (Protect Excellence, Foster Innovation)
http://www.voteyeson3a.org/
BVSD ballot measure webpage
http://bvsd.org/boe/Pages/BallotMeasure.aspx
Website for the No Side
No known website – Info on an opposition website appreciated.
Approved Ballot Language
BOULDER VALLEY SCHOOL DISTRICT BALLOT ISSUE 3A:
Shall Boulder Valley School District RE-2 taxes be increased by $10,000,000 in 2016 for collection in 2017 and by whatever amounts in any year thereafter as are raised from a mill levy which shall not exceed four (4) mills, provided that no mill levy increase from year to year shall exceed one (1) mill, for the purpose of providing ongoing cash funding for capital construction, new technology, existing technology upgrade, and maintenance needs of the district; and shall such tax revenues be deposited into the supplemental capital construction, technology and maintenance fund to be created by the district and shall such taxes and the earnings from the investment of such tax revenues be collected, retained and spent as a voter approved revenue change and an exception to the limits which would otherwise apply under Article X, Section 20 of the Colorado Constitution or any other law?
YES/FOR _______
NO/AGAINST _________
See Resolution 16-28-B to put 3A on the ballot.
http://www.boarddocs.com/co/bvsd/Board.nsf/files/AD5PLP652AB3/$file/Resolution%2016-28B%20authorizing%20mill%20levy%20ballotQ%20for%20110816%20election.pdf
Debt-Free Schools Act:
http://www.leg.state.co.us/clics/clics2016a/csl.nsf/fsbillcont3/3B1CBA7554F0A0C587257F240064FE0E?open&file=1354_enr.pdf
After TABOR passed in 1992, the Public School Finance Act of 1994 attempted to equalize funding among school districts across the state. However, the recent trend in the General Assembly to allow individual districts to ask their voters for more money by increasing the revenue caps or allowing exceptions to the caps puts the statewide equalization principle in jeopardy. Districts with many generous donors such as BVSD are fortunate that they can bring in more revenue.
In 2010 the General Assembly allowed a new funding formula, which BVSD voters approved, permitting the district to adjust the property tax mill levy as needed to collect the maximum allowed – 25% of total program funding. BVSD is not required to collect the maximum, but it seems doubtful that they would be asking for another property tax increase if they hadn’t already maxed out on the previous permanent tax increase.
This in-perpetuity property tax would start at about 1.7 mills and could increase by up to 1 mill each year until it reaches the cap of 4 mills. The school board vote for Resolution 16-28B was 5-2 in favor of putting this property tax on the ballot.
Recommendation: no/against
The Debt-Free Schools Act provides a tool for districts to plan for and fund maintenance, an area which BVSD has not been funding adequately based on the amount of deferred maintenance in the 2014 voter-approved capital construction bond. Generally, I would support an ongoing fund for maintenance, but I’m not ready to endorse it so soon after the huge 2014 bond and the 2010 maximum mill levy override. In 2010 I wrote that passing the mill levy override would mean that voters “would never vote on another override in the future (unless the state legislature increases the ceiling again…)”
The pro-3A campaign points out that the new revenue will free up money from the regular budget for instructional purposes, but opponents wonder how much will go to hire more Ed Center administrators with big salaries. Some would say that BVSD saw a new opportunity to ask for more money and is counting on generous voters to reflexively approve the request without determining that recent property tax increases have been spent wisely.
Website for the Yes Side (Protect Excellence, Foster Innovation)
http://www.voteyeson3a.org/
BVSD ballot measure webpage
http://bvsd.org/boe/Pages/BallotMeasure.aspx
Website for the No Side
No known website – Info on an opposition website appreciated.
Approved Ballot Language
BOULDER VALLEY SCHOOL DISTRICT BALLOT ISSUE 3A:
Shall Boulder Valley School District RE-2 taxes be increased by $10,000,000 in 2016 for collection in 2017 and by whatever amounts in any year thereafter as are raised from a mill levy which shall not exceed four (4) mills, provided that no mill levy increase from year to year shall exceed one (1) mill, for the purpose of providing ongoing cash funding for capital construction, new technology, existing technology upgrade, and maintenance needs of the district; and shall such tax revenues be deposited into the supplemental capital construction, technology and maintenance fund to be created by the district and shall such taxes and the earnings from the investment of such tax revenues be collected, retained and spent as a voter approved revenue change and an exception to the limits which would otherwise apply under Article X, Section 20 of the Colorado Constitution or any other law?
YES/FOR _______
NO/AGAINST _________
See Resolution 16-28-B to put 3A on the ballot.
http://www.boarddocs.com/co/bvsd/Board.nsf/files/AD5PLP652AB3/$file/Resolution%2016-28B%20authorizing%20mill%20levy%20ballotQ%20for%20110816%20election.pdf
Debt-Free Schools Act:
http://www.leg.state.co.us/clics/clics2016a/csl.nsf/fsbillcont3/3B1CBA7554F0A0C587257F240064FE0E?open&file=1354_enr.pdf
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