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District News

It’s Official – Jeffco Public Schools is on the Ballot!

At a special meeting of the Board of Education on 8.23.18, the Board took actions for the ballot in November. Please take a moment to read through how Jeffco would use resources from a statewide effort called Amendment 73, and what you can expect from two local ballot efforts – a mill levy override and a bond.

At the state level, Amendment 73 is a proposed change to the Colorado Constitution that would generate $1.6 billion in new ongoing revenue for PreK-12 education. It is funded through an income tax on filers earning more than $150,000 annually and C-corporations. It also locks in and sets state residential property rates at 7% and state commercial property tax assessment rates at 24%, which is a -.2% and -5% reduction, respectively, compared to current levels for education. For Jeffco Public Schools, this would mean about $1,609 per student in additional revenue.

Our district would use these funds in the following ways (with the percentages that were approved by the Board of Education in a resolution): attract and retain quality teachers and staff (50%), address class size and staffing shortages (15%), add mental health and counseling supports (10%), expand early childhood education in district programs (10%), expand career/technical and STEM education options (7.5%), and purchase classroom learning materials and technology (7.5%). Charter schools would get their proportionate share of these funds.

Amendment 73 has made the ballot for this fall and there are pro and con statements available on it. It will need 55% voter approval to pass.

The Board of Education also approved a local mill levy override for the ballot. The request is for $33 million dollars annually, adjusting for inflation. This would be generated through a property tax, which would be around $2.10 per month, per $100,000 of residential value. In terms of how we would use mill levy dollars (with percentages approved by the Board), we would increase our competitiveness with other districts for quality teachers and staff (50%), improve school safety and security through additional mental health, counseling, and school security (20%), expand career/technical and STEM options (10%), expand full-day early childhood education (10%), and purchase classroom learning materials and technology (10%). Charter schools would get their proportionate share. There are also accountability elements built into this mill levy, writing into the ballot language that none of these resources can be used for senior district dministration, that an expert citizen oversight committee will review the uses of these funds, and that they are subject to an annual external audit.

The Board also put a $567 million bond program on the ballot. Bond funds are used for construction purposes and cannot be used for administration or staff. Bonds are repaid through a property tax increase, which in this case would be around $1.81 per month, per $100,000 of residential value. Jeffco would use 60% of these funds to bring all schools in the district up to a common standard of quality in terms of instructional space and building safety and security. We would also expand and add career/technical and STEM education facilities and early childhood education options. We would use 20% of these funds to reinvest in established parts of Jeffco, keeping those communities and schools attractive places for families and kids. We also have growth areas and would spend 10% of the funds to accommodate new schools and additions where needed. Charter schools would be passed through their proportionate share, 10%.

Bond funds would also be monitored by a separate blue-ribbon oversight committee and be subject to an annual external audit. In an effort to reinvest dollars into our local economy, we will have a preference for local firms and contractors in doing this work, which we expect will take five years to complete.

Please take the time to become informed on these important education funding decisions. As always, our voters will make the final decision at the polls. To learn more about these three funding initiatives, please visit: http://jeffcopublicschools.org/futurefunding Also, Jeffco students, parents, families, staff, and community members may engage with Superintendent Dr. Glass via Twitter @COJasonGlass and through his blog, https://advancejeffco.blog/

Support Jeffco Public Schools & Jeffco Schools Foundation at the Annual Golden Arts Festival

The Golden Chamber of Commerce has partnered with Jeffco Public Schools and Jeffco Schools Foundation to promote the District’s arts programs, highlighting the Foundation’s Elementary Arts Program. Artwork by JPS elementary school students will be featured, and the Chamber-supported tent will be accepting donations to fund the Foundation’s 2019 Elementary Schools Art Exhibit. The festival also features the commissioned artwork by JPS Westridge Elementary School teacher, Jesse Crock.

Gifted and Talented Application and Testing

Jeffco’s GT Department identifies students as gifted at all of our district neighborhood, charter and option schools in all grades K-12 as per Colorado Department of Education (CDE) guidelines. All students who are identified as gifted qualify for an Advanced Learning Plan (ALP). Additionally, some students who qualify as gifted may be eligible for enrollment at one of our GT Center schools. The application processes for GT identification and for GT Center school access are both similar, yet distinct.

We have 2 separate application processes:

Click here for GT Identification Referral: This form should be completed for students who are only seeking GT identification for an Advanced Learning Plan (ALP), and who are planning to remain at their current neighborhood, option or charter school, and not interested in attending a GT Center school. (This application is open year round)

Click here for GT Center application: This application should be completed for students who are seeking access to one of our GT Center schools, even if a student is not yet identified as GT. This application closes at 4:00pm on October 15, 2018.

If families are unsure of whether they may want to enroll in a GT Center school, they should complete the GT Center application, as the processes for both are very similar. Our identification team can make both the GT identification and Center School decisions based on the same body of evidence.

Click for our GT Center Schools Flyer