YES ON 5B
Yes To Eagle County Schools
5B
Bond
What is a bond?
Bonds are a voter-approved method of borrowing funds that are used for local school and district capital construction projects such as maintenance of existing schools, new roofs, heating and cooling improvements, and building new facilities.
The Eagle County School District (ECSD) Board of Education has approved a $100 million bond ballot question that will appear on the ballot as question 5B.
What will the Bond be used for from Ballot Question 5B?
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Construct employee housing to retain and attract teachers and staff. Providing access to affordable housing will help ECSD retain current employees and recruit new teachers and staff to work for the school district and live in our community.
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Improve school safety and security of schools and classroom environments.
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Expand early childhood education and care services by building an early learning center in Gypsum and expanding capacity at the Edwards Early Learning Center. Research among district employees and community members shows that there are critical needs for expanding childcare and early learning opportunities for our children. According to the CDC, early childhood education and quality care can counteract the disadvantages some children experience, improve their social and cognitive development, and provide them with an opportunity to achieve school readiness and later success in school.
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Replace, update, or repair roofs, HVAC, playgrounds, gyms, locker rooms, and athletic facilities improving learning environments and extending the useful life of existing facilities.
ILLUSTRATION OF GYPSUM EARLY LEARNING CENTER
What is the tax impact?
This year is different! ECSD has an opportunity with voter approval this November 2023, to benefit from Eagle County’s increased assessed property values to fund the mill levy opportunity and finance building employee housing and early childcare education facilities up and down the Vail Valley without incrementally adding to property taxes. ECSD does not receive a windfall from increased assessed property values, but will benefit from the overall increase in property tax collections due to the increase in property values.
Because education funding in Colorado is capped by the School Finance Act and its complicated formula, ECSD will reduce its mill levy next year to stay within the requirements of capped funding.
Summary of Written Comments
FOR Ballot Issue No. 5B:
5B asks voters to approve a $100 million bond – a method of debt financing – to invest in capital projects. 5B provides the Eagle County School District (ECSD) with needed funds to build more employee housing, make safety and security improvements at local schools, build a new early learning center in Gypsum and expand existing programs, and complete other maintenance and improvements at local schools including updating playgrounds, gyms, locker rooms, and athletic facilities.
Affordable housing is linked to the ability to recruit and retain quality teachers and staff. Finding affordable housing is a question new employees think about before deciding to accept a position and move to the school district. This fall, ECSD is finishing construction of Miller Flats, located next to Battle Mountain High School. They had 150 employees apply for the development’s 37 units. Building new affordable housing helps the district be more competitive in what they have to offer employees and makes ECSD more attractive to the quality educators we want and need to bring to our community.
5B increases childcare and preschool programs to support families in our community. Access to safe childcare services and preschool helps prepare our young children to enter Kindergarten ready to learn at grade level. The Gypsum area has seen growth in more young families and these families need safe and quality childcare and preschool facilities for their children to attend. If families know their children have a great place to go for childcare and preschool, then they are able to go to work and contribute to our local economy. 5B will allow ECSD to expand early childhood education and childcare services by building an early learning center in Gypsum and expanding capacity at the Edwards Early Learning Center.
Every year we hear of more violence and safety issues in schools, and every school district considers safety a top priority. ECSD must also maintain its current facilities and have funds for improvements to keep our school buildings running efficiently and safely. 5B provides funds to replace, update, or repair roofs, HVAC, playgrounds, gyms, locker rooms, and athletic facilities which will improve learning environments and extend the useful life of existing facilities.
ECSD has an opportunity to benefit from Eagle County’s increased assessed property values to fund the mill levy opportunity and finance building employee housing and early childcare education facilities without incrementally adding to property taxes. ECSD does not receive a windfall from increased assessed property values but will benefit from the overall increase in property tax collections due to the increase in property values. In fact, because education funding in Colorado is capped by the School Finance Act and its complicated formula, ECSD will need to reduce its mill levy next year by 2 mills to stay within the requirements of capped funding. Voter approval of both 5A and 5B does not create an increase in the total mill levy paid to ECSD.
No Comments were filed by the constitutional deadline AGAINST Ballot Issue No. 5B.
For the full official Eagle County Ballot Issue Notice Blue Book writeup on 5A, click here.
To view the entire official 2023 election booklet here.