December 16, 2010 12:55 AM UTC

Republican Shenanigans in Douglas County

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• by: madmike

( – promoted by Colorado Pols)

I’m wondering how many ColoradoPols readers have heard about the effort by the Douglas County Board of Education to adopt a school voucher program known as the Option Certificate Program.  It appears that the school board is intent on putting this program into practice next school year in spite of its dubious legality and over the concerns and objections of a large segment of the population in Douglas County.  You may be asking yourself what this has to do with you if you don’t live in Douglas County.  The answer is, plenty if you pay taxes in Colorado.

This move by the Douglas County School Board is not just a local Douglas County issue.  According to the plan, parents who want to send their children to private or parochial schools in Douglas County will apply and receive an Option Certificate (voucher) to help them pay tuition at a participating school.  The voucher would be equal to 75% of the per pupil revenue that the district receives from the state, currently about $5000 per student.  If, next school year for example, one thousand students participate in the program, Douglas County would receive approximately $5 million from the State in addition to its normal allocation.  What that means is that people who live in Holyoke, Holly, Hayden or Hermosa or anywhere else will pay taxes (income, sales, excise and more) to the State of Colorado and some of that money will eventually make its way to Douglas County where wealthy parents will use it to send their kids to private schools.    When I say “that money” I really mean “your money.”

Last year, four members of the Douglas County School Board were elected as a self-declared Republican slate and had the official backing of the Republican Party.  School vouchers have always been a key piece of the Republican agenda.  Now a determined effort is underway to put that piece into place in Douglas County at the expense of every taxpayer in the state.  And, since the incoming Speaker of the Colorado House is both a Republican and a resident of Douglas County, don’t be surprised if the program should get some support from the legislature.

I hope Pols readers will take an interest in this issue and consider what it means to them.  What could your school district do with an additional $5 million?  Do you really want to see your tax dollars being funneled to one of the wealthiest school districts in the state and given to parents so they can send their kids to pricey private schools at a time when families are struggling just to make ends meet?  I don’t think so.  I urge each one of you to call your state legislators and pressure them to put a stop to this misguided effort.  Also feel free to to forward a link to this article to anyone who you think should know about it.