District 20 parents raise concerns about changes in November bond measure
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - Academy District 20 is asking voters for more money to renovate public and charter schools this fall.
Some D20 parents are raising concerns over the proposed bond on the ballot this November and the process to decide how and where the money will be spent.
The bond measure would provide funding to rebuild Air Academy High School along with providing funding to improve health, safety, and security at non-charter schools. At charter schools, the bond would fund capital improvements.
Parents are saying the school district hasn't done its due diligence in allotting bond money.
Concerned parents of D20 students say D20 should've conducted a full needs-based assessment of the district's needs before taking this bond to the ballot. While the school district is calling the timing of this bond on the ballot a perfect storm because it wouldn't raise taxes.
The heart of the bond deal is 49 million dollars to rebuild Air Academy High School, that's only 20% of the rebuild cost, the federal government would pick up the 80% through the Public Schools on Military Installations Program.
The rest of the bond will allocate 23 million for the rest of the non-charters and 11 million for the charters.
Detractors want the bond pulled from the ballot saying the school needed to do a full assessment like in 2016.
"I feel that putting x amount of dollars towards something without having a full needs-based assessment is not very fiscally responsible," said Beth Hodgson, a concerned D20 parent.
The district says this year is the perfect storm for passing this bond.
"By once in a generation, an opportunity to do something that does not increase taxes for our community, that benefits all students in our district and do it in a way that is affordable," said Becky Allan, D20 Deputy Superintendent and CFO.
D20 added they did speak with all the school principals to talk about what their school needs.
Allan added the 11 million for charters is proportionate to the number of students in the district when looking at the total spent on public schools.
Tonight at 5 p.m. the school district is holding an informational meeting to talk about the bond measure on the ballot.
