$775M bond referendum for Colorado Springs schools may hit November ballot
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- The Colorado Springs District 11 School Board is considering a $775 million bond referendum for the November ballot. The measure aims to fund significant school improvements, including air conditioning for some facilities and a pay increase for teachers.
The proposed bond would address the needs of some schools in the district, which are between 50 and 100 years old and currently lack air conditioning. This substantial investment requires voter approval, and the board is exploring various financing options.
Dr. Parth Melpakam, a School District Official with Colorado Springs District 11, emphasized the goal of the initiative. "We want to make sure our students have state of the art learning environments," Melpakam said.
If approved by voters, the bond measure would result in an increased tax for homeowners. The impact would be approximately $6.50 more per month for every $100,000 of property value.
Dr. Melpakam stated the importance of considering financial implications for the community. "We have to consider the various financing options. How it impacts our taxpayers," Melpakam said.
The funds would include the completion of the second phase of construction at Palmer High School. "A school like Palmer, you see the construction that is already happening there. That's phase one of the construction. We need to complete the second phase of the construction," Melpakam said.
While bond funds cannot directly be used for salary raises, the money would free up funds currently allocated for facilities. This re-allocation would allow for a pay bump for teachers, a point of contention that led to a one-day teacher strike last October.
The district intends to provide a $10,000 pay increase for all teachers, from first-year educators to those with 30 years of experience. "A first-year teacher to a 30-year teacher, all of them would see a $10,000 pay bump. To improve student outcomes, we need excellent teachers in our classrooms. And to ensure that those excellent school teachers stay in our school district, we need to provide competitive compensation," Melpakam said.
The School Board has until the end of the summer to vote on approving the measure to place the bond on the November ballot.
Dr. Melpakam says the school board has been conducting polls to gauge community support. They've done three so far, with support for the bond polling around 54-58%.
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