Parent activist group halts efforts
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LONGMONT ' A group of parents pushing for the school district to place a new mill-levy override on the November ballot has put its plans on hold.
Steve Love, the group's organizer, said he 'kept running into roadblocks, and in talking to (school board President) Sandi Searls, she was really against trying again this year.'
And it 'would take a lot to convince her otherwise.'
The St. Vrain Valley Education Association also did not support a new mill-levy override.
'They want to try again in the future. Maybe 2007 would be a better year,' Love said.
Searls said she believed the group did not get started early enough to garner community support and that was why she was against moving forward in November.
'A citizens campaign takes a great deal of planning, and I was very concerned that we are too far along without having more work done,' she said. 'If you want a campaign to be successful, you need to make sure you have enough time.'
St. Vrain tried for a $15.47 million mill-levy override in November 2004, which failed by 128 votes. The district tried again with a ballot measure last November, asking voters for a property tax increase that would have generated $17.3 million in revenue. That proposal was defeated by an even wider margin.
About 50 people from throughout the St. Vrain Valley School District had expressed interest in helping Love in his quest this year, but only seven to 10 people came to meetings, he said.
The district has three overcrowded elementary schools ' Eagle Crest, Erie and Prairie Ridge ' and though the district has 2002 bond money to build three new schools, it does not have the operating funds to pay faculty and staff.
Love, whose children attend Eagle Crest, wanted to start a grass-roots community campaign to pass a mill levy so the district could operate new schools, but that push may not be necessary.
During its June 28 meeting, the St. Vrain Valley Board of Education said it would meet Sept. 6 to discuss issuing the remainder of its 2002 construction bonds. If the board decides to move forward with the bonds, construction on one or more of the new elementary schools could begin in the fall.
It takes about a year to build an elementary school.
Love's committee voted at its last meeting to become an advocacy group for public schools, but in the meantime, he registered the group, Invest in Student Success, as an issues committee with the Colorado Secretary of State's Office. That way it will be ready if the district decides to move forward with a mill levy request in 2007 or 2008.
'I plan to stay connected with what the district is doing,' he said.
Invest in Student Success will meet in August to establish a vision for the school district and to 'see where the school district aligns with that and where it doesn't align with that and come up with a strategy for how we can make those changes.'
Love said he hopes the citizens group will allow people to 'voice their opinions and carry those opinions to the board.'
'And we hope to have some say in their decision making,' Love added.
Paula Aven Gladych can be reached at 303-684-5211 or pavengladych@times-call.com.
St. Vrain tried for a $15.47 million mill-levy override in November 2004, which failed by 128 votes. The district tried again with a ballot measure last November, asking voters for a property tax increase that would have generated $17.3 million in revenue. That proposal was defeated by an even wider margin.
About 50 people from throughout the St. Vrain Valley School District had expressed interest in helping Love in his quest this year, but only seven to 10 people came to meetings, he said.
The district has three overcrowded elementary schools ' Eagle Crest, Erie and Prairie Ridge ' and though the district has 2002 bond money to build three new schools, it does not have the operating funds to pay faculty and staff.
Love, whose children attend Eagle Crest, wanted to start a grass-roots community campaign to pass a mill levy so the district could operate new schools, but that push may not be necessary.
During its June 28 meeting, the St. Vrain Valley Board of Education said it would meet Sept. 6 to discuss issuing the remainder of its 2002 construction bonds. If the board decides to move forward with the bonds, construction on one or more of the new elementary schools could begin in the fall.
It takes about a year to build an elementary school.
Love's committee voted at its last meeting to become an advocacy group for public schools, but in the meantime, he registered the group, Invest in Student Success, as an issues committee with the Colorado Secretary of State's Office. That way it will be ready if the district decides to move forward with a mill levy request in 2007 or 2008.
'I plan to stay connected with what the district is doing,' he said.
Invest in Student Success will meet in August to establish a vision for the school district and to 'see where the school district aligns with that and where it doesn't align with that and come up with a strategy for how we can make those changes.'
Love said he hopes the citizens group will allow people to 'voice their opinions and carry those opinions to the board.'
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