$4.5M increase in property tax on ’07 ballot

Voters in southern Colorado Springs will be asked on this year’s ballot to raise their school property taxes by $4.5 million annually to fund a sweeping list of improvements as part of a plan to raise student achievement.

The ballot question for Harrison School District 2 says the money will pay for: enhancing safety and security, attracting and retaining high-quality teachers and staff, updating and adding technology, paying for additional instructional days in the school calendar, and providing performance-based incentives for teachers.

For the owner of a $150,000 home, a typical home value in the school district, the annual tax increase would be $57.60 in 2008, $81 in 2009 and $104.40 in 2010. The full $4.5 million would not be collected until the third year, said Mark Zamora, the district’s designated election official.

Money earmarked for security would pay for cameras and lights to reduce vandalism. It would also pay for training and a security supervisor who is leading the district’s crisis management plan, Zamora said.

School officials also hope to beef up technology across the district from software that allows parents to check on students’ progress and attendance to classroom enhancements such as electronic “smart” boards, video streaming and other advancements. The district believes quick and easy access for parents to see how their children are doing will help them be involved — a key piece of academic success, they say — while technology will help graduates in the digital age.

Much of the $4.5 million would go to compensate teachers. Harrison wants to be among the top-paying districts in the Pikes Peak region because school officials believe its teachers and support staff are the key to raising achievement.

It also plans to pay bonuses to teachers and support staff whose students show exceptional growth. Such a plan is in effect, paid for by a $5 million grant. The ballot measure would take over for the grant in three years.

Under the incentive plan, a teacher whose students improve overall by a year and a third academically in a year’s time gets a $1,000 bonus. The measure would also pay for additional teaching days in the school year.

A citizens organization is campaigning for the measure.

No formal opposition has materialized, but comments against it filed with the county criticize the spending proposals as vague. Critics also say school districts receive revenue from other sources and ask whether money can be generated from existing sources without raising taxes.

Jan Bruner, who did not write those comments, is a former school board member who opposes the measure. She said that she doesn’t believe that the spending proposal for the tax money has a strong enough connection to student achievement, and that she believes the money would go to luxuries that a district like Harrison can’t afford.

CONTACT THE WRITER: 636-0198 or bnewsome@gazette.com

HARRISON SCHOOL DISTRICT 2

2006-07 Enrollment: 11,165 students

Test scores: Test scores are below state averages.

2006-07 demographics: 68 percent minority students; 60 percent qualify for free or reduced-price lunches

The ballot question: The tax increase would pay for improving safety and security, attracting and retaining staff, updating technology needs, funding additional school days, and providing performance pay for teachers.

Total cost: $4.5 million annually

Cost to taxpayers per month: The tax increase would be phased in over three years, meaning the cost on a $150,000 home would be $4.80 per month in the first year, $6.72 per month in the second year and $8.64 for the third year and beyond.

How to vote: The Harrison measure is part of El Paso County’s mail-ballot election. Ballots were sent out Friday to most registered voters. (Those who registered after Sept. 26 will receive their ballots later.) Ballots must be received at the Clerk & Recorder’s Office at Centennial Hall, 200 S. Cascade Ave., Colorado Springs, CO 80903, by Nov. 6. Call the El Paso County Elections Department at 575-8683 with questions.

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To read past Gazette articles about candidates and ballot issues in El Paso and Teller counties go to, gazette.com/elections