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School district ranks 4th in amount of money it will receive
The Douglas County School District will get the fourth-largest amount of money from the passage of Amendment 23.
By By: Tom Herman
The Douglas County School District will get the fourth-largest amount of money from the passage of Amendment 23.
The amendment calls for the state to fund public schools by at least the rate of inflation plus 1 percent for 10 years.
Projected funding for the first five years gives Douglas County $28.2 million. Jefferson County will get the most, $71.3 million, followed by Denver with $56 million, and Cherry Creek, $34.8 million.
Gov. Bill Owens is urging school districts to use the money to reduce class size to 17 pupils in kindergarten through third grade.
Statewide, school districts are objecting to the class size reduction. Douglas County School Superintendent Rick O'Connell has said he is opposed to the class sizes Owens wants.
"It would cause us to have to increase the 75 to 80 classrooms we have now to double that number," O'Connell said. "That could cost as much as $80 million over the 10-year period."
O'Connell and other superintendents have said they believe Owens should let the individual districts decide how and where to spend the money from the amendment. He said the money in Douglas County will be used for mathematics and literacy programs for staff training.
Because the funds for the school districts will be based on inflation, it will not be available to them until the inflation rate is determined. It will be approximately $1.6 million for Douglas County the first year.
Amendment 23 is slated to recover the reduced school funding over the past 10 years. After 10 years, the money will continue at the inflation rate without the plus 1 percent.
Districts will continue to receive the per-pupil operating revenue from the state in addition to Amendment 23 money. In 2000, the per-pupil amount was $5,046.
The amendment calls for the state to fund public schools by at least the rate of inflation plus 1 percent for 10 years.
Projected funding for the first five years gives Douglas County $28.2 million. Jefferson County will get the most, $71.3 million, followed by Denver with $56 million, and Cherry Creek, $34.8 million.
Gov. Bill Owens is urging school districts to use the money to reduce class size to 17 pupils in kindergarten through third grade.
Statewide, school districts are objecting to the class size reduction. Douglas County School Superintendent Rick O'Connell has said he is opposed to the class sizes Owens wants.
"It would cause us to have to increase the 75 to 80 classrooms we have now to double that number," O'Connell said. "That could cost as much as $80 million over the 10-year period."
O'Connell and other superintendents have said they believe Owens should let the individual districts decide how and where to spend the money from the amendment. He said the money in Douglas County will be used for mathematics and literacy programs for staff training.
Because the funds for the school districts will be based on inflation, it will not be available to them until the inflation rate is determined. It will be approximately $1.6 million for Douglas County the first year.
Amendment 23 is slated to recover the reduced school funding over the past 10 years. After 10 years, the money will continue at the inflation rate without the plus 1 percent.
Districts will continue to receive the per-pupil operating revenue from the state in addition to Amendment 23 money. In 2000, the per-pupil amount was $5,046.
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