CCSD Board of Education Unanimously Supports 2024 Mill and Bond

The Cherry Creek School District Board of Education last night unanimously voted to support the recommended mill and bond package and put both measures in front of Cherry Creek Schools voters in November. Together, these measures represent a significant investment in safety and security, innovation, teachers, and major maintenance projects that will help continue to make CCSD one of the leading districts in the nation.

“This is one of the most impactful decisions we can make to continue to invest in our students and staff today and into the future. I want to thank Superintendent Smith, his team, and members of the Long Range Facility Planning Committee for all of the preparation and planning that went into developing this package. We will work hard to share this vision for the future with our community,” said Angela Garland, President of the CCSD Board of Education.

Specifically, the mill and bond package include investments in the following areas:

• Safety & Security: Increase in trained security personnel and safety upgrades to school buildings, such as ballistic window film and replacement of security cameras and access control systems.
• Innovation: Expand the Cherry Creek Innovation Campus to accommodate 70% more students and develop or expand 10 in-demand career pathways as well as expand career training sites throughout the district.
• High-Quality Teachers: Ensure competitive pay and benefits to continue to recruit and retain the very best teachers who have the experience and expertise to enhance student-focused learning and academic success.
• Ensuring Healthy, Innovative Learning Environments: Begin the process to replace aging and deteriorating buildings on the three oldest campuses: Laredo/Smoky Hill; Prairie/Overland; and the Cherry Creek K-12 campus.
• Student Health: Provide additional mental health and whole wellbeing support for students to learn how to develop resiliency and prepare them for their next stage of life.
• Major Maintenance Needs: The district reduced the 2020 bond measure by $150 million due to COVID-19 which has resulted in $300+ million in planned and deferred maintenance needs across the district.

The package includes a $9 million mill levy increase and a $950 million bond beginning in 2025. Together, that means less than $3 a month per $100,000 of property value for CCSD residents. For the average home value of $500,000 in Arapahoe County, that equals less than $15 a month.

“This package is going to build on the district’s 75 years of excellence, help our students thrive, and prepare our graduates to take on the advanced jobs of the future,” said CCSD Superintendent Christopher Smith. “We are grateful for the ongoing support of our community and look forward to educating our community about the opportunity in front of them to continue to invest in our students, staff, and facilities.”

The district’s Long Range Facility Planning Committee (LRFPC), a group of community members representing all six feeder areas, supports the Board of Education in its ongoing analysis of current capital construction needs throughout the district. The Committee began work to review projects for a possible 2024 bond in January 2022 and provided a final recommendation to District leadership and the Board of Education in December 2023.

Tom Gross, a local realtor and member of the LRFPC spoke at the board meeting, “I’m proud of the work of the committee and appreciate the opportunity to present our analysis as part of this process, which identified $1.6 billion in capital construction needs throughout the district. Just like we invest in our homes, we must invest in our schools to maintain education excellence in this district.”

Other community members spoke at the board meeting, including Tom Werzyn, a senior citizen volunteer at CCIC, “We need to expand in order to meet the growing requirements of incoming students and expand career offerings to meet the needs of local industry. CCSD continues to be an educational leader in Colorado, and the expansion of the CCIC campus will be an opportunity to continue to grow in that role.”

In Colorado, funding for school districts is determined by the 1994 School Finance Act, which does not include any funding for facilities or capital construction needs. The only way school districts in Colorado receive more funding is through the support of their local voters. Notably, the recent increase in property taxes does not provide school districts with additional funds. To learn more about school funding, click here.

Published on 8/13/2024.