Colorado: Raise taxes? Hell No!

[Ame®icano]

AURORA | Colorado voters on Tuesday overwhelmingly rejected the nation’s only statewide tax increase on ballots this year — a proposal to raise income and sales taxes for five years to revive schools decimated by years of budget cuts.

Colorado voters adamantly refuse to raise taxes to fund public schools

So, every time schools cry for more money, they get it. Throwing more money should bring some results, right? Well, voters decided... enough is enough. They voted NO with 2-1 margin. Nice.

 

[Teals_Of_Wonder]

Is this a Democrats Proposal?

 

[Ame®icano]

I don't know...

Here are endorsements: Proposition 103.

 

[Care4all]

AURORA | Colorado voters on Tuesday overwhelmingly rejected the nation’s only statewide tax increase on ballots this year — a proposal to raise income and sales taxes for five years to revive schools decimated by years of budget cuts.

Colorado voters adamantly refuse to raise taxes to fund public schools

So, every time schools cry for more money, they get it. Throwing more money should bring some results, right? Well, voters decided... enough is enough. They voted NO with 2-1 margin. Nice.

so you say they throw money at schools while the article says they've faced years of budget cuts?

a proposal to raise income and sales taxes for five years to revive schools decimated by years of budget cuts

so, which is it?

 

[auditor0007]

Colorado has been anti-tax for quite a few years now, and any statewide tax increase must be approved directly by the voters. The problem is that many people do not understand how much of school funding has been cut in many districts. This is happening pretty much nationwide. Last fall, we had a school levy on the ballot. It was defeated. Following it's defeat, the school district laid off approximately 10% of all the teachers. They also added on substantial fees for sports and all extra-curricular activities. Now all sports cost $150 per sport with a $450 yearly maximum per family. In the past it was $125 for the entire year, regardless of the number of sports. The fee for sports is not really that big of an issue, but in poorer communities it would be. The big issue was with the cut in teachers as class sizes have now swelled to an average of 26 to 28 students per class at all levels.

So, after making all the cuts, the school board put another identical levy on the ballot in the spring. It passed by a 2 to 1 margin after everyone realized how bad all the cuts were. The problem is that the new levy can't undo many of the cuts. The money was needed six months earlier, so now the levy that was passed is just enough to keep us where we are. The teachers even took pay cuts to try to keep them from having to make more cuts.

The big problem with the Colorado cut is that it will hurt the poorer school districts much more than everyone else. Voters in those districts just don't have the money to pass increased levies on themselves. Districts like Cherry Creek Schools can get the additional money from within their own district. However, districts such as Denver Public will not be so fortunate, so kids in the poorer school systems will suffer the most.

 

[auditor0007]

AURORA | Colorado voters on Tuesday overwhelmingly rejected the nation’s only statewide tax increase on ballots this year — a proposal to raise income and sales taxes for five years to revive schools decimated by years of budget cuts.

Colorado voters adamantly refuse to raise taxes to fund public schools

So, every time schools cry for more money, they get it. Throwing more money should bring some results, right? Well, voters decided... enough is enough. They voted NO with 2-1 margin. Nice.

Schools nationwide are in dire straits because they have lost a great deal of revenue due to decreasing property values and state budget shortfalls. In most cases, these school districts are not looking for more money, they are looking to find money that they used to have and that is no longer there. Some cuts can be made, but you eventually get to a point where you begin to really gut the system. This is not a good thing.

 

[bripat9643]

so you say they throw money at schools while the article says they've faced years of budget cuts?

a proposal to raise income and sales taxes for five years to revive schools decimated by years of budget cuts

so, which is it?

The article was written by a liberal Democrat, obviously

 

[editec]

If money makes no difference to educational outcomes then why do the rich send all their kids to those elite prep schools that cost so much money?

 

[old navy]

The district in which I teach is in one of the wealthiest counties in the U.S. I just work there; don't live there. Anyway, we have gone through the budget cuts, de-staffing, no pay raises for two years, increased user fees for sports and testing, and whatnot.

It has been my observation that the more diverse and lower SES schools get more money from several sources. For example, the sports fee is waived if the student is on free or reduced lunches. Same for IB and AP testing. A school with more "poor" kids is also eligible for more grants from various subject areas from both government and private sector entities.

My school is one of the lowest performing in the district yet we rank in the top six percent of all schools in the country. Our expenditure per pupil is lower than some districts and higher than others. We probably spend more per student than many private schools. The reasons of course are higher teacher salaries and top-notch facilities. The district attracts the best teachers but one of the biggest reasons for the high achievement of the students is that they are high achievers to start with. They have great two parent support, nice cars and clothes, and lots of big-wig oversight. Not only do most of the parents know the law, many of them write the laws of the nation.

All that is the district as a whole. My school is the most diverse with the largest number of free lunches eaten daily. Since I teach in CTE, most of my students are the NOT SO well-to-do ones. And I like it like that. Helping a kid get into college or other post high school training is more rewarding if that kid would not have otherwise had the guidance. As far as the subject of the OP, I just make do with what I have and make the best of it, regardless of the tax rate. And that is a good life lesson to the kids as well.

 

[LordBrownTrout]

With the public education bar sitting as low as it is, it would be hard for a virus to pass under. Public education is sub-mediocre at best. We should demand excellence but instead we have government.

 

[editec]

<H2>Trinity Prep

Tuition, Fees, and Payment Options



2011-2012 tuition is $16,800:

• Full tuition: due July 1
• Two payments: partial payment July 1 (60%), final payment December 1 (40%)
• Ten monthly payments: May through February
• Tuition for the 2012-2013 school year will be pubished on January 12, 2012

2011-2012 fees include:

• $1,600 one-time new student fee
• $75 optional yearbook fee
• $35 Trinity Parent Organization fee per family
• $375 Grades 6-9 field trips fee

</H2>
source

Incidently that's just tuition, not room and board

Choate PREP

Yearly Tuition (Boarding Students)$46,420
Yearly Tuition (Day Students)$35,350

source

 

[Ame®icano]

AURORA | Colorado voters on Tuesday overwhelmingly rejected the nation’s only statewide tax increase on ballots this year — a proposal to raise income and sales taxes for five years to revive schools decimated by years of budget cuts.

Colorado voters adamantly refuse to raise taxes to fund public schools

So, every time schools cry for more money, they get it. Throwing more money should bring some results, right? Well, voters decided... enough is enough. They voted NO with 2-1 margin. Nice.

so you say they throw money at schools while the article says they've faced years of budget cuts?

a proposal to raise income and sales taxes for five years to revive schools decimated by years of budget cuts

so, which is it?

Come on, don't act like you don't know the story.

Schools were always getting money, just money didn't go to right places. Generally, we all want improvement in education, but seems that almost only improvement we were seeing over the years was in teachers benefits... Those days are hopefully over.

 

[Ame®icano]

If money makes no difference to educational outcomes then why do the rich send all their kids to those elite prep schools that cost so much money?

I already answered to Care4All, so please read it.

Money should make difference if is directed to the problem. If more money for private education gives better results, why it doesn't with public education? Maybe problem is where the money really goes...

 

[Care4all]

Colorado has been anti-tax for quite a few years now, and any statewide tax increase must be approved directly by the voters. The problem is that many people do not understand how much of school funding has been cut in many districts. This is happening pretty much nationwide. Last fall, we had a school levy on the ballot. It was defeated. Following it's defeat, the school district laid off approximately 10% of all the teachers. They also added on substantial fees for sports and all extra-curricular activities. Now all sports cost $150 per sport with a $450 yearly maximum per family. In the past it was $125 for the entire year, regardless of the number of sports. The fee for sports is not really that big of an issue, but in poorer communities it would be. The big issue was with the cut in teachers as class sizes have now swelled to an average of 26 to 28 students per class at all levels.

So, after making all the cuts, the school board put another identical levy on the ballot in the spring. It passed by a 2 to 1 margin after everyone realized how bad all the cuts were. The problem is that the new levy can't undo many of the cuts. The money was needed six months earlier, so now the levy that was passed is just enough to keep us where we are. The teachers even took pay cuts to try to keep them from having to make more cuts.

The big problem with the Colorado cut is that it will hurt the poorer school districts much more than everyone else. Voters in those districts just don't have the money to pass increased levies on themselves. Districts like Cherry Creek Schools can get the additional money from within their own district. However, districts such as Denver Public will not be so fortunate, so kids in the poorer school systems will suffer the most.

thanks for clearing a lot of this up.... it's pretty sad....

 

[bripat9643]

26 students per class? Oh my, the poor dears. When I was in school we had 35 students per class. In a lot of countries they have 50 or 60 students per class. I think they'll survive. And schools layoff teachers rather than useless administrators. You can always count on a government school to use the available money in the most inefficient way possible.

Colorado has been anti-tax for quite a few years now, and any statewide tax increase must be approved directly by the voters. The problem is that many people do not understand how much of school funding has been cut in many districts. This is happening pretty much nationwide. Last fall, we had a school levy on the ballot. It was defeated. Following it's defeat, the school district laid off approximately 10% of all the teachers. They also added on substantial fees for sports and all extra-curricular activities. Now all sports cost $150 per sport with a $450 yearly maximum per family. In the past it was $125 for the entire year, regardless of the number of sports. The fee for sports is not really that big of an issue, but in poorer communities it would be. The big issue was with the cut in teachers as class sizes have now swelled to an average of 26 to 28 students per class at all levels.

So, after making all the cuts, the school board put another identical levy on the ballot in the spring. It passed by a 2 to 1 margin after everyone realized how bad all the cuts were. The problem is that the new levy can't undo many of the cuts. The money was needed six months earlier, so now the levy that was passed is just enough to keep us where we are. The teachers even took pay cuts to try to keep them from having to make more cuts.

The big problem with the Colorado cut is that it will hurt the poorer school districts much more than everyone else. Voters in those districts just don't have the money to pass increased levies on themselves. Districts like Cherry Creek Schools can get the additional money from within their own district. However, districts such as Denver Public will not be so fortunate, so kids in the poorer school systems will suffer the most.

 

[bripat9643]

thanks for clearing a lot of this up.... it's pretty sad....

He didn't clear anything up. He posted teacher union propaganda.

 

[bripat9643]

If money makes no difference to educational outcomes then why do the rich send all their kids to those elite prep schools that cost so much money?

Money makes no difference in government schools.

 

[bripat9643]

Schools nationwide are in dire straits because they have lost a great deal of revenue due to decreasing property values and state budget shortfalls. In most cases, these school districts are not looking for more money, they are looking to find money that they used to have and that is no longer there. Some cuts can be made, but you eventually get to a point where you begin to really gut the system. This is not a good thing.

You're forgetting the fact that when property values were increasing, the revenues were pouring in and school spending went up accordingly. Revenue is back where it would have been without the real estate bubble, so schools should have enough to get by on.

 

[auditor0007]

If money makes no difference to educational outcomes then why do the rich send all their kids to those elite prep schools that cost so much money?

Money makes no difference in government schools.

So a ten percent reduction in revenue for a school district should have no effect on how a district will operate. Got that. Since that is the case, we ought to be able to cut spending to schools by fifty percent and it wouldn't make a difference.

Ever hear of Bill Engvall? Well, here's your sign.

 

[Dont Taz Me Bro]

Colorado has been anti-tax for quite a few years now, and any statewide tax increase must be approved directly by the voters. The problem is that many people do not understand how much of school funding has been cut in many districts. This is happening pretty much nationwide. Last fall, we had a school levy on the ballot. It was defeated. Following it's defeat, the school district laid off approximately 10% of all the teachers. They also added on substantial fees for sports and all extra-curricular activities. Now all sports cost $150 per sport with a $450 yearly maximum per family. In the past it was $125 for the entire year, regardless of the number of sports. The fee for sports is not really that big of an issue, but in poorer communities it would be. The big issue was with the cut in teachers as class sizes have now swelled to an average of 26 to 28 students per class at all levels.

So, after making all the cuts, the school board put another identical levy on the ballot in the spring. It passed by a 2 to 1 margin after everyone realized how bad all the cuts were. The problem is that the new levy can't undo many of the cuts. The money was needed six months earlier, so now the levy that was passed is just enough to keep us where we are. The teachers even took pay cuts to try to keep them from having to make more cuts.

And after those layoffs, how many administrators were still employed? How many teachers aides? How many other staff that do not contribute directly to the education of the child were still there? How much were the employees contributing to their benefits packages, if anything? What were other school district expenses like? Those are the things that drive up the cost of public education in this country. Funny how the school boards never threaten to cut that stuff, though. No, it's always threatening the public with less teachers

We spend more money on public education than any other industrial nation except for Switzerland and yet all of Europe is running circles around us when it comes to an educated public. Funding for public education in the U.S. has tripled since 1960 and yet the quality has massively declined. Money has never been the problem in this country when it comes to public education. Even with those education cuts in Ohio and Colorado, I assure you they had plenty of money to provide a quality education. They just don't spend it right.

Funny how all the outrage is on big business and big oil and Wall Street, yet big education gets a complete pass at raping the public.