Court fight may be next

DENVER - This much is known: Cañon City will get new textbooks, Widefield will be able to raise teachers’ pay and Falcon can expect security upgrades because of the 2007 School Finance Act signed Wednesday by Gov. Bill Ritter.

What is unknown is what will happen to $41 million in new revenue that is not earmarked yet. The entire package soon may be targeted by a lawsuit from critics who say the bill is illegal.

Ritter signed Senate Bill 199 on the Capitol steps while surrounded by children. But he sent a very adult message to Republicans who call the measure an illegal tax increase and threaten to use it while running against Democrats next year.

“We know that this could become a campaign issue,” the first-year Democratic governor said. “We’ll fight you tooth and nail because it is the right thing to do.”

A provision in the law freezes property tax rates in 133 school districts statewide and bars them from continuing to decrease as revenues rise faster than the rates of student growth and inflation in the districts.

The $47 million it will raise in the first year and $1.7 billion it will bring in during the next decade will stay with school districts, but the state will decrease its funding to school districts by an equal amount, using the savings to stabilize the State Education Fund and spreading the wealth to other state programs.

Of the $47 million, the only designated funding is $6.4 million that will go to the 11 districts that get the lowest perpupil funding in the state, bringing them up to 94.3 percent of the state per-pupil average.

Four of those are in the Pikes Peak region: Cañon City, Cheyenne Mountain, Falcon and Widefield.

Cañon City director of business services Buddy Lambrecht laid out the most detailed plan for the $551,134 the district will receive. It will update textbooks, bring in newer computers, double the district’s fund balance and raise salaries and benefits for employees, he said.

Cheyenne Mountain Superintendent Walt Cooper said his district will spend its $160,251 to increase salaries, and Widefield communication director James Drew said its $484,956 will go to salaries and curriculum needs.

Falcon officials will wait until October to parse out the district’s $227,169 increase, but security, technology and operating needs all could use funding increases, Chief Financial Officer Laine Gibson said.

“What this is about for us is our students deserve the same chance as everybody else at a fair and equal education,” Drew said. “We’re smiling in Widefield.”

Not everyone was joyous.

Republicans have complained loudly in recent days that there is a chance the great majority of the money will go to things other than education.

By using the new money to refill the shrinking education fund, it only ensures that less general fund money must be spent on education and allows the Legislature to spend that money on human services and higher education.

One of the speakers at the bill-signing was Colorado Community College System President Nancy McCallin, who talked of the money needed by such colleges, even though SB199 does not specifically direct any funds toward them.

Afterward, McCallin said she has requested that some of the new revenue replace the $150 million the system lost during the economic downturn but added Ritter hasn’t promised anything yet.

Jon Caldara, president of the conservative Independence Institute, said he’s gearing up a legal team to sue the state over the plan in the coming weeks. Caldara claimed that because the bill represents a major change in tax policy that will increase tax revenues, the constitution requires voter approval.

“This is fiscal date rape,” Caldara said. “They’re taking the money and they’re not asking first.”

CONTACT THE WRITER: (303)837-0613 or ed.sealover@gazette.com

GAINS FOR LOCAL SCHOOLS

The education funding bill signed by Gov. Bill Ritter means more money for these area districts:

CAÑON CITY +$551,134

State aid per pupil: $6,275 x Pupil count: 3,924.9 Total aid: $24.6 million

Planned use: Newer textbooks and computers, higher salaries and benefits and increase in the district’s fund balance.

WIDEFIELD +$484,956

State aid per pupil: $6,275 x Pupil count: 8,321 Total aid: $52.2 million

Planned use: Increase salaries and benefits for teachers; also plans to spend some on supplies and curriculum.

FALCON +$227,169

State aid per pupil: $6,275 x Pupil count: 13,049.5 Total aid: $81.9 million

Planned use: Unsure, because a lawsuit may block the new law. Needs include operating money, security and technology.

CHEYENNE MOUNTAIN +$160,251

State aid per pupil: $6,275 x Pupil count: 4,755 Total aid: $29.8 million

Planned use: The district says it will use all the money to increase salaries for its workers.