LAKEWOOD — JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. — Jefferson County School District cut $40 million from its budget this year, but leaders say it is not enough.
The district still needs close to $135 million more — and to close that gap, school board members are considering asking property owners to pay more through two separate mill levies. If the school board approves them, voters would decide in November.
Denver7's Jefferson County reporter Allie Jennerjahn has more on concerns from district officials:
Enrollment has dropped by around 1,000 students annually, according to school board Vice President Erin Kenworthy. Over the last five years, 21 schools have closed, saving the district $20 million per year.
Of this year's $40 million in cuts, the majority came from administrative reductions.
"About 27 million of the 40 million came from departmental and central administration cuts, and then the remainder of it was with our school budgets," Kenworthy said.
Despite those reductions, Kenworthy said the district remains underfunded compared to neighboring districts.
"We're still lowest amongst our metro area district friends and neighbors in per pupil spending, and a lot of that has to do with other districts that have maximized the amount of mills and the amount of local input and support that they have in their budgets," Kenworthy said.
The two mill levies under consideration would each serve a distinct purpose. One would go directly toward compensation for teachers and staff. The other would fund building updates and maintenance.
Parent Devin Mills said he has already seen the impact of budget cuts on students.
"The paras, the reading specialists, the people who help the teachers help the children, are going away. We're seeing a lot of senior teachers retire, and it's causing the kids to look around their schools and go, 'Geez, who's leaving next?'" Mills said.
Mills said if a choice has to be made, the priority is clear.
"If I have to choose, we need the people," Mills said.
If the tax increases fail to pass the school board, Kenworthy warned the consequences would be felt in classrooms.
"We'd be immediately looking at much deeper cuts that would be much more difficult to keep away from our classrooms," Kenworthy said.
The school board is set to vote on whether to place the mill levies on the November ballot on Aug. 20.
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