Face the State

By State Representative Bill Cadman
Special to Face the State

State Rep. Jerry Frangas, D-Denver, is doing what most people would do in his position - he is trying to get a bigger piece of the pie for his constituents. In the face of a statewide tax increase, he's lobbying to get more money for Denver schools. While it's hard to blame him, this effort is ultimately a distraction from the larger question we face: Why are our taxes being raised yet again to fund schools when just last year taxpayers agreed to a fork over billions of dollars in the name of better educated children?

In 2006, voters approved Referendum C, a tax increase that has thus far raised government revenue by nearly $6 billion. They authorized this massive public investment based on promises of smaller classes and higher teacher salaries. They were told there would be more money for students with special needs. They felt they could trust Democrats who stood atop the steps of the state capitol, looked into television cameras, and told them that our children would be the beneficiaries.

Today, Democrats are talking out of both sides of their mouths. They're using accounting gimmicks to try to say their promises have resulted in greater funding. Sure, the Referendum C money--called "general fund exempt", showed a $261 million line item in the 2006-2007 K-12 budget. What it doesn't show, however, is that "general fund" dollars for K-12 were simultaneously reduced by $306 million. In sum, in the aftermath of Colorado's largest tax increase, our schools are actually being forced to make do on $45 million less in state taxpayer dollars.

And not even a year later, as our schools wait to collect on promises made, Democrats are already taking more of our hard-earned money. During the 2007 legislative session, under the direction of Gov. Bill Ritter, Democrats passed another tax increase they say will help education. It will take $49 million that would have otherwise been returned to voters through lower property taxes and instead diverts this money into the state's education fund.

Frangas is challenging Ritter, saying that if his plan is to proceed, Denver schools deserve a nearly $9 million break because Denver taxpayers kick more money into the state's education fund than those in any other county. Notably, Frangas was one of the few Democrats who voted against Ritter's tax increase. If we are going to have it, however, he argues the money should go to Denver schools because--as he puts it--they invest the most in schools and have the greatest need.

But do they? To imply that Denver schools are experiencing greater needs for textbooks and teachers than other areas of the state is less than accurate. If the city's schools are not getting enough resources to do the job, they are not alone.

Teachers in my hometown of Colorado Springs are suffering as a result of being mislead about the amount of funding that would come to them via Ref C. Just last week, I talked with one veteran teacher who is so frustrated with the situation, she says she's on the verge of resigning. And with good cause.

Her school year in Colorado Springs District 11 began with 23 fifth graders. But within three weeks, her class size had jumped by 25 percent, up to 28 students. The increase, she was told, was the result of a money-saving effort by the district. Because the kindergarten classes had grown so large, the district was forced to to hire two new aides. According to the teacher, the principal eliminated a class serving fourth and fifth graders, opting to transfer that teacher to kindergarten duties. Her previous students were then moved to other classes, which were already full.

The teacher expressed grave frustrations to me about the situation, noting that the special-needs students transferred to her classroom will fail to get the attention they need--and deserve--in a classroom of nearly 30 students. As a result, she fears, they will likely fall behind and get lost in the system.

So Rep. Frangas, this is just one story of one teacher in one classroom, but I am sure there is a story for every school in each of our districts that cries out for attention and resources.

The teachers in my district, like those in Rep. Frangas's, deserve better. While I can understand Rep. Frangas's attempt to get more money for his district, his effort is a distraction from the larger problem we face. Voters were lied to in 2006, when they approved Referendum C, a nearly $6 billion tax increase.

When I asked a budget committee staff member about how a $6 billion tax increase, passed based on promises of better schools, could result in a $45 million decrease in education funding, he responded that it was an “accounting measure.” Hmmm, I took accounting in college, but this seems a lot more like something that the Enron accountants tried and we all know how that turned out. I hope our schools, staffed by great teachers, do not suffer the same fate.

Rep. Bill Cadman, R-Colo. Springs, serves as the Minority Caucus Chairman for the Colorado House of Representatives