After two rounds of community meetings, Durango School District 9-R is coming back for a final round to see if the community will support a mill levy increase on the November ballot.
“People seemed pretty clear on a few priorities,” 9-R Superintendent Dan Snowberger said about the meetings in January and February. “So we’ve narrowed those down, and we have some better projections for next year’s revenues.”
Attendees at the previous meetings and several people who took the online survey identified these priorities for the school district:
Class size.
Class offerings – electives, career, technical and vocation.
Capital investment – building maintenance, vehicle upkeep and replacement.
Professional development for staff.
Computer replacement cycle and technology enhancement.
Staff retention through salary increases.
The district has been budgeting $400,000 for capital investment when it should be closer to $1.1 million, Snowberger said, because the transportation fleet is aging.
The 2010 3A mill levy override money has been spent on the three areas specified in the language of the ballot initiative, technology and programs, keeping class sizes low and retaining staff. And while there is an agreement to freeze staff salaries in place for the 2016-2017 school year, that isn’t something the district can keep doing.
“Other districts have not had a freeze,” Snowberger said. “If we want to remain competitive in attracting and keeping teachers, we will have to build in raises in the future.”
Because of 3A funding, 9-R spokeswoman Julie Popp said, the district moved from ranking 32nd in the state for average teacher salary to 14th, a ranking it would like to maintain.
On the revenue side, 9-R is forecasting an increase in revenues of $447,000 because of an anticipated increase in state funding, a projected increase of 18 students and income from a new online Connections Academy, a contract the district expects to sign next week.
“The proposed budget at the state Legislature is about $11 million short of meeting that, but our lobbyists think they’ll find the money because they won’t want to shortchange education in an election year,” Snowberger said
Popp and her staff have created a primer explaining the complexities of school financing. As the district prepares to conduct a major survey after this week’s meetings, she hopes the handout will inform the community so members can help the district make important decisions later this year.
abutler@durangoherald.com
If you go
Durango School District will hold its final two community budget sessions to discuss potential mill levy ballot questions this week. The Durango Education Association will provide free baby-sitting at both sessions.
The meetings are:
6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Escalante Middle School, 141 Baker Lane. Principal Jeremy Voss will keep the gym open and spend time with fifth-graders planning to attend Escalante next year so their parents can attend the session.
6 p.m. Thursday at Miller Middle School, 2608 Junction St.