From the 10/16/2024 Pikes Peak Courier:

Why would parents and community members caring deeply about our schools ask the city council to return the sales tax question to voters?

Having served on the Board of Education (BOE) in 2016 when this tax was requested of citizens, I was curious. For those I talked with, desperation played a central role. They described a sense of powerlessness with an unresponsive, fiscally irresponsible BOE and superintendent, who favor the district’s charter school, Merit Academy (MA), over the four traditional schools.

Since Mr. Witt’s hiring, not all changes have been negative. Yet peculiar financial happenings warrant taxpayers’ attention.

The board amended its contract with MA to include student transportation. While parents pay the same fee as other schools, MA itself does not share the larger cost of just under $1,000,000—a cost instead paid by funding for the other four schools.

This year, MA was given the middle school building—with a functional capacity of 900 students. Roughly 500 students currently use it. Yet down the street, Columbine sixth graders remain in portable buildings due to space shortage. And a small corner of the high school building confines WPMS.

Witt, of note, is simultaneously employed full-time as the Executive Director of ERBOCES—an alternative-education business and charter school advocate. ERBOCES actually lists MA among its own “Brick and Mortar Schools,” and funded a loan to MA in 2021, expected to be paid off in 2028. (Also of interest, Witt personally donated $1200 to Merit last year—though not the other WPSD schools).

Consider that administrative costs paid by MA to WPSD was $136,190 in 2023—an amount based on tracked hours worked. After Mr. Witt’s arrival this dropped to $31,295 in 2024. Even with increased number of students at MA.

Sadly, since Witt’s WPSD hiring, an all-time high of 554 students chose education options outside WPSD last year—a financial hit, too, at $10,276/pupil. ERBOCES gained 96 of those students (four years ago, it was 17). Early estimates are an additional decline of 172 WPSD students for 2024-2025.

As we observe this man who lives an hour from us—could this be a conflict of interest? Is he truly working for our community’s interests? For all our children? All of our schools?

Further, Mr. Witt’s staff provided our BOE with an unbalanced budget…twice. Passed twice (with egregious errors). His assertion that transportation is fully state-reimbursed failed to account $979,768 of district costs. Yet the BOE rated him 4/4 as excels in “leadership in the fiscal management of the District.”

What will the upcoming audit show? Will the Superintendent allow the auditors to present their findings to the public? What’s the status of the fund balance (i.e. savings) this BOE and superintendent spend at alarming, unsustainable rates?

This district is not listening to all parents in this community. Whether you vote no—to retain the tax— or yes to remove the tax, stay involved. Hold the board accountable for a superintendent who, at best, has divided interests.

Carol Greenstreet

From the 10/16/2024 Pikes Peak Courier:

Repealing sales tax is vote for a better agreement

It’s sad that I retired here to enjoy nature and peace, but instead must deal with people who live to “other” anyone who believes or advocates differently.

I am an outspoken, proud supporter of public schools, transparency and competency in elected officials. I am particularly critical of Mick Bates, Ken Witt, and Brad Miller, the school board’s very-expensive counsel. Perhaps this is why I’ve received Facebook death threats.

Smart, research-driven and caring friends are also being maligned, even threatened, when they advocate for our public schools. Anonymous cowards have threatened my friends privately and on social media; Fake Facebook profiles disrespect City Council members by name; and, sadly, many only watch Council and board meetings online, out of fear of retaliation.

At the same time the board makes it impossible for highly qualified, independent financial experts to verify district finances by stonewalling Colorado Open Records Act requests. The new CFO is another hire with prior relationships to Brad Miller, which will only continue financial opacity. This school board should stop delegating to Miller and Ken Witt. Mick Bates is either ignorant, being manipulated, or lied to (and believing it).

City Council can better support our students and teachers by ensuring honesty and transparency about where our tax money is really going. Vote to repeal the current tax as it is written now. Don’t be fooled by opponent’s false appeals about harming students and teachers. Your vote to repeal is a vote for a better contract, not a reduction in support.

Trina Hoefling, Woodland Park

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Why is sales tax still needed?

The question of the 1.09% city sales tax for schools, Ballot question 2A, will be voted on in November. I believe a healthy school district is indicative of a healthy community. Good school ratings boost the value of homes, and help us feel connected through our common values — what’s best for the community’s children.

Test scores aside, the overall real estate ratings from third party websites of WPSD schools have decreased. 2 public schools have closed. Enrollment is down and we have lost students to other districts. Our part time superintendent’s combined salary is $349,400 (plus benefits and bonuses). Other superintendents in similar districts make $225,000 (Aspen) — $279,000 (Jeffco). The superintendent for Denver, which manages over 200 schools, makes $329,400. I have nothing against Merit Academy and only want the best for those families, but why is our public school superintendent donating $1,200 to them (while not donating to the other four schools) and why did his organization ERBOCES loan them money?

If we have fewer students and facilities to maintain, why is the sales tax needed? The money certainly doesn’t seem to be making its way to our students and teachers. Remember who has really sown division here — the outside influences of a superintendent who doesn’t live in our community, and a whole fleet of law firms who are draining our district dry.

Allison Avery-Wollenhaupt, Woodland Park

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Vote YES on 2A

Much about our school district has changed since the tax was implemented in 2016: an entire elementary school (with all related expenses) closed, almost one-third of the traditional public school children left for a different district, a significant number of teachers have opted to teach elsewhere (with fewer kids less teachers are needed) and property valuations in Teller County are at an all-time high, delivering more property tax funds to the school district. The opposition argues the tax is needed to fund our schools, but is the money even being used to support our kids? A part time superintendent making more money than any other superintendent in neighboring districts ($175K) coupled with grossly inflated legal fees year over year, do our teachers and kids even benefit from this tax money? Are there other expenses that could be trimmed if teachers’ jobs and kids’ education is truly in peril?

At the request of many constituents, WP City Council asked for transparency into the district’s finances before the sale tax agreement was renewed. These basic requirements were difficult for the school board president to comprehend. With such controversy surrounding the spending of taxpayer dollars by our school board, transparency goes a long way in our community. The new WPSD CFO has previous ties to the district’s attorney, so clear guidelines are needed moving forward. The tax should be repealed, and the agreement re-written to build in more safeguards requiring further accountability and transparency. This school board has been anything but fiscally conservative.

Elizabeth Douglass, Florissant

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Vote on 2A isn’t a forever deal

I appreciate the heartfelt comments about ballot question 2A, repeal of the city’s 1.09% sales tax that goes to the WP School District. There’s concern that students and teachers would be harmed by taking away this money. But, are we dealing with the same conditions as in 2016, when the tax was voted in?

Cuts in state funding to schools had created a real hardship for the district, which the 2016 tax was meant to mitigate. Now, those cuts have been restored by the state and per pupil funding will increase, meaning more income for the district. Also, today there are fewer buildings to be maintained by the district, with the recent closure of Gateway Elementary being one, and there is no question the district has lost many, many experienced teachers already. Enrollment across all the schools is down this year. Factoring in the increase in state funding, this should mean lower costs to the district, should it not?

Voting on 2A is not an all or nothing, forever and ever deal. Repeal in no way constrains the city from writing a new version and putting that to a vote. A rewrite could fold in the improved guardrails in the IGA that was recently signed. It’d be a big improvement to set rules and expectations for accountability and transparency, clearly, and from the start.

Trust but verify, as Ronald Reagan said!

Patricia Hines, Woodland Park

From the 10/9/2024 Pikes Peak Courier:

Yes on 2A

I have owned a home in this community since 2007 and worked for Woodland Park School district from 2008-2024. I am voting yes on 2A to stop giving extra money to a school district with leadership unable to use it responsibly.

You may be concerned that this would take money away from our kids. Unfortunately, those monies are currently being redirected and misused before benefiting the kids. Responsible practices are not in place to account for any funds due to the shady business practices embedded into central office and operating in the shadows of our school board.

I supported the original initiative. Things have changed. Published budgets from 2022 to 2023 show a central support services increase of 76% — over half a million dollars. The lack of transparency leaves us to wonder what those expenses are. District general administration line item increased 39% — over $400,000 dollars. The superintendent’s part-time contract is obscene, and the law firm is raking in money to lose first-amendment and other cases.

We no longer need the extra sales tax to make up for shortfalls in school funding. Per pupil state funding is now $11,450- which is a 7% increase over last year. Some teachers who stayed received up to a 2% increase. Despite worsening our declining enrollment, our district should be able to pay its bills without handouts.

The city of Woodland Park deserves better. Look at what has happened to what our tax dollars built. Vote YES on 2A.

Anna Hand, Woodland Park

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