Great Futures Start with a Great Education

Great Ed Jeffco

• Education - Your kids won’t get a 21st century education if we continue to disinvest, or if 60, 61, or 101 pass.

• Jobs - 73,000 jobs will be lost if these three measures pass. Companies will no longer come to Colorado to create new jobs and strengthen our economy and our kids’ futures.

• Public safety, health, and transportation – These services that support our communities will be at risk. • More at www.lookingforwardcolorado.com

Three Reasons to Care:

Is Colorado Making the Necessary Investments in our Future?

Great Futures Start with a Great Education . . .

How is Colorado doing?

1 Education Week. Reported in Quality Counts 2010. Per pupil funding data adjusted for regional cost differences from Revenues and Expenditures for Public Elementary and Secondary Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Fiscal Year 2007 Report.2 Gross State and Local Support for Higher Education Operating Expenses Per Capita, The National Center for Higher Education Management Systems Information Center. Data from State Higher Education Executive Officers (SHEEO), 2008.

3 “How Colorado Compares in State and Local Taxes,” Colorado Legislative Legal Services, 1/28/09 Memo, data from U.S. Census Bureau State & Local Government Finances 2005-06.

• 42nd in K-12 education per pupil funding (adjusted for cost of living) 1

• $1,400 per pupil below the national average 1

• 40th in elem. level pupil to teacher ratio 1

• 41st in technology in our schools 1 • 48th in per capita spending on higher ed 2

• 46th in combined state and local taxes 3

***

Colorado: 48th Higher Ed Funding

(per capita)

How Low Can Higher Ed Go?

***

In other states …

Cuts to EducationK-12Statewide – 6.12% or $354 million (so far) Over $400-500 per student average across state$417 per student in JeffcoResult: Increased class size; school days, summer school cut; schools closed; furloughs & layoffs; transportation, activity & technology fees; art/ music/electives, mentoring & literacy staff cut. Jeffco planned ahead.

Higher Ed2010-11: Funding propped up by federal stimulus dollars. 2011-12: cuts of as much as $300 million in state aid anticipated when stimulus ends.Result: Annual 9% increases in tuition, making higher ed less accessible; larger classes, shrinking course availability, potentially closed departments, campuses. State Recent Audit shows: 142% fee increase and 76% tuition increases at state colleges and universities from 2006 to 2010.

Deeper state cuts expected for the current year and the 2011-12 year . . .

When will it get better?• When will full day Kindergarten be free and

Preschool more accessible?• When will our class sizes become manageable

again?• When will tuition stop increasing?• When will our kids’ access to technology be on

par with the rest of the nation and world? • When will we be able to restore art, music, PE,

and Career Tech. classes?

Never.

Until we act.

In fact, it could get even worse.

COLORADO AT A CROSSROADS

Current Trajectory

If A60, A61, or P101 pass

Long Term Goal

2011-122010-11 2012-13

Investment

($)

Note: This graph is conceptual, and not “to-scale”

Reduces Government Revenues

• Motor vehicle taxes to $2 or $1, license fees, income tax rate, phone bill taxes. Result: $2+ billion/year. (Large proportion goes to schools)

• Jeffco: $24 million loss

Proposition 101

Bottom line: Slashes revenues at state and local levels on the heels of $3+ billion in state cuts alone. Education cuts inevitable, resulting in larger class sizes, narrowing curriculum, higher tuition, higher fees.

Limits Property Taxes & Voids TABOR Elections • Cuts local property taxes for schools in ½ without means for

state to replace those lost local revenues. • Jeffco: $141 million loss

• Overrides local “de-Brucing” elections.• Allows citizens to put mill levy reductions on the ballot by

petition.• Applies property tax to many colleges and universities.

Amendment 60

Bottom line: Reverses voters’ will in previous elections, would result in increased class size, decreased opportunities, higher tuition, closed institutions.

Limits Government Borrowing • Prohibits state from any use of debt to finance

important projects over time. Colorado would be the only state in the country with this restriction.

• Would end the “Build Excellent Schools Today” program and halt higher ed construction.

• Could result in March – November school year in some districts.

• Jeffco would be significantly limited in addressing health, safety and building use needs.

Amendment 61

Bottom line: An end to state assistance for school and higher ed construction, more expensive local school construction.

B.E.S.T.

TOTAL

• At least $2.7 billion loss of local and state revenue for important community services.

• Loss of thousands of jobs in public and private sector, including 8,000 educators

JEFFCO SCHOOL DISTRICT IMPACT

• If Amend. 60, Amend. 61 and Prop. 101 pass, would reduce Jeffco District funding contribution by 43%, or $166,212,000 ($2,037 per kid) when fully implemented.

Source: Looking Forward Colorado, www.lookingforwardcolorado.com, a collaborative of the Colorado Fiscal Policy Institute, the Bell Policy Center, and the Colorado Children’s Campaign.

Prop 101, Amendment 60 & 61 Impact

1. Colorado’s funding for preschool, K-12 and higher ed is already too low and being cut further.

2. A60, A61 and P101 – would devastate our education system and make it impossible for our economy to recover or compete.• Prop 101 – Cuts $2+ billion out of district, local and state

budgets that are already unable to meet the needs of their citizens.

• A60 – Guts local support for schools• A61 – Makes construction and health & safety repairs virtually

impossible

Great Futures Start with a Great Education, but . . .

… even mediocre education will be impossible if 60, 61 or 101 pass.

• Get Informed -- and inform others• Schedule a speaker for your group or company• Learn the elevator speech (use a wallet card!)

• Pass a resolution against 60, 61, & 101 • Thank the Jeffco School Board for unanimous passage of a resolution opposing 60, 61 & 101• Sign-up for online information and action• Check the Volunteer box

What Can We Do?

Contact Great Education Colorado Jeffco

Jonna Levinejlevine922@yahoo.com

Kelly Johnson

kellyjjj@comcast.net

jeffco.greateducation.org

www.greatfuturescolorado.org

For More Information: