WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 28, 2023
VOLUME 21 | ISSUE 42
FREE
CHECK OUT: WOMEN IN BUSINESS • SPECIAL PULLOUT INSIDE THIS ISSUE INSIDE THIS ISSUE
WATER BOARD County moving forward
P2
Douglas County School District Superintendent Erin Kane has traveled Douglas County, along with members of the school board, COURTESY DOUGLAS COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT seeking support for funding measures. However, the road ahead is long in changing some minds.
Residents speak out against school district funding questions BY MCKENNA HARFORD MHARFORD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
When Larkspur resident Jim Maras receives his ballot this election season, he’ll be voting against the Douglas County School District’s ask for a $66 million mill levy override and $484 million bond for a variety of reasons. A large contributing factor for Maras is that he doesn’t believe the district is fiscally responsible. Maras, whose children graduated
from Douglas County schools, volunteered on the district’s Financial Oversight Committee, the Mill Bond Oversight Committee and the Mill Bond Exploratory Committee from 2018 to this year. He said he voted for the 2018 bond and mill levy override, the last time the district passed a bond and mill levy override, but has since disagreed with how that funding was spent and managed. “They were buying laptop computers, office furniture, all kinds of
CALENDAR: 13 | VOICES: 14 | LIFE: 16 | SPORTS: 28
stuff that will never last 20 years,” Maras said. “If they were doing building repairs that stuff would be around. So going back to that, I got disenfranchised with the district.” According to polling from the school district, Maras is not alone in his opposition to the funding questions. In April, 43% of the voters polled opposed the bond, which would be used to build new schools and maintain buildings, and 41% SEE FUNDING, P10
CLARITY IN CODES Parker council approves plan
P7
TRUNK OR TREAT Vendors needed for annual event
P11
PARKERCHRONICLE.NET • A PUBLICATION OF COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA