The Eaton School District Board of Directors recently referred two questions to the 2019 November ballot, a bond and a mill levy override (MLO). The MLO will appear on your ballot as 4D and the bond is 4E. Simply, the bond will be utilized to fund much needed facilities improvements across the District, such as building a new high school and making updates to all the other facilities. The MLO will provide funding to improve mental health services, recruit and retain high quality teachers, and will fund ongoing maintenance costs. Bonds and MLOs are used differently, with bonds funding facilities projects and MLOs providing more flexible funding for investments in educational programming and operating costs such as building maintenance. Eaton voters should support both measures.

The Eaton community last approved a bond measure in 2001 and an MLO in 2007.

Election Day is Tuesday, November 5, 2019. All registered voters will receive a mail-in ballot at their household and they also have the option to vote in-person at a Voter Service Center by 7:00pm on November 5^th.

Anyone over the age of 18 with a valid driver’s license may visit the following website to register to vote:

www.govotecolorado.com

Alternatively, a paper copy of the voter registrations may be filled out and submitted to the County Clerk and Recorder located at 1402 N. 17^th Avenue, Greeley, CO  80631.

The Eaton community is proud of the high performance of its school district in academics, extracurriculars, sports, and for its ability to put students on a pathway to success. In order to remain competitive with neighboring districts, prepare for future population growth, and to provide the best opportunities for students, it is critical that voters approve both education funding questions on the November 5^th ballot. The plan will improve our career and technical education offerings including the agricultural education programming, will improve science and technology offerings, increase safety and security at all of our schools, and address much needed facilities upgrades across the entire District. This is a plan that will benefit every student in our District.

The bond is funded via a property tax increase which varies per household based on a home’s estimated value. The estimated tax impact for the bond measure is a monthly increase of $7.62 for every $100,000 in assessed home value as established by the county assessor. The total value of the bond for the Eaton School District is $128.5 million.

The bond would be used to fund a new and enhanced facilities plan. The District and the community-led Long Range Facilities Planning Committee developed the following plan based on substantial community input:

• Construct a new high school with the capacity for 800 students on district owned land by the Recreation Center.

• Convert and renovate the existing high school into a middle school.

• Convert and renovate the existing middle school into the new site of Eaton Elementary. Decommission the existing Eaton Elementary School.

• Build a secure building entry, improve the overall safety, and address deferred maintenance at Benjamin Eaton Elementary.

• Build a secure building entry, improve the overall safety, and address deferred maintenance at Galeton Elementary.

• Build a new District transportation facility.

All construction and renovation will focus on improving safety and security, completing deferred maintenance projects, updating classrooms and academic technology, and enhancing educational and vocational programming. Additional features of the updates include:

• Secure entry and appropriate safety and security systems

• Student commons and small-group learning spaces

• Staff planning and workrooms

• Classrooms for Music, Drama, Career and Technical Education, English, World Languages, Social Studies, Math, Science and Special Education

• Smaller class enrollment sizes

• Enlarged administrative, counseling and nurse’s offices

• Removal of outdated portable/modular classrooms and out-buildings

• More parking for students and staff

• Air-conditioning in all classrooms

No, it’s estimated that the oil and gas industry would pay an estimated 71% of the tax impact associated with the bond and MLO measures.  This means that currently the oil and gas industry would fund $91,235,000 of the  $128.5 million bond.

The mill levy override will fund the following key investments:

• Improve the safety and security of facilities.

• Improve youth mental health services in our schools.

• Recruit, train, and retain high quality teachers and staff.

Address ongoing maintenance costs.

The MLO is funded via a property tax increase which varies per household based on a home’s estimated value. The estimated tax impact for the MLO measure is a monthly increase of $1.38 for every $100,000 in assessed home value as established by the county assessor. The total value of the MLO for the Eaton School District is $1.5 million.

Both the Eaton Board of Education and District Accountability Committee will oversee expenditures associated with the bond and MLO funding. All revenue and spending associated with the bond issue would also be disclosed on the District’s website. The District announced that it’s planning on hosting community meetings and providing regular project updates online and through  local newspapers.

ESD was granted $438,152. While this was great news, the District is responsible for matching 76% of the $1.83 million total project, or $1.39 million. The mill levy override and bond will provide the funds needed to unlock the BEST Grant funding, thus increasing the importance of the two ballot questions. The District’s facilities needs go far beyond what the BEST Grant can cover alone. It’s critical that Eaton voters support both ballot measures as an investment in our children and our community.

The plan requires transitioning our elementary schools to a K-5 format. Benefits to the District include increased efficiency and cost savings. Benefits to parents and students include increased choice to parents in selecting an elementary school, and a more cohesive and improved academic experience for elementary students.  There will also be more space available for grade wide performances at each of the affected elementary schools.

To become involved with the Eaton – Investing in Our Children campaign committee, you may contact Jen Noonan or Randy Smith at eatonschoolsinitiative@gmail.com.

Donations may be sent to:

Eaton – Investing in Our Children
P.O. Box 42
Eaton, CO  80615