VOLUME 60 | ISSUE 52
WEEK OF AUGUST 1, 2024
Westminster mulls putting wards on ballot
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State boosts new teacher recruiting Stipends are meant to help address teacher shortage BY MELANIE ASMAR CHALKBEAT COLORADO
vote on the introduction of a ward system during the November 2024 election, according to the city’s Facebook page. Should the ballot measure pass, the process for determining ward boundaries starts in 2025. “Staff does not anticipate implementation of council wards until the 2026 election,” the Facebook post states.
Colorado is seeking new applicants for a program that aims to address Colorado’s teacher shortage by providing stipends of up to $10,000 to educators teaching under alternative licenses while earning degrees. Called the Educator Recruitment and Retention Financial Assistance Program, the program began in the 2021-22 school year with 80 educators, who agreed to work in rural school districts for three years as a condition of receiving the stipend. In 2022, state lawmakers expanded the program to include educators all over Colorado, not just in rural districts. Participation exploded to 749 educators in 2022-23 and held fairly steady this past school year with an unofficial count of about 700 educators, according to a Colorado Department of Education spokesperson.
SEE WARDS, P2
SEE RECRUITING, P47
Westminster officials are considering asking voters if they support a plan to create three ward districts to elect City Councilors FILE PHOTO beginning in 2026.
All councilor seats would be tied to new voting districts by 2026 under plan BY MONTE WHALEY MWHALEY@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Voters in November may get a chance to create a system of geographic wards where two people
from each ward will be selected to serve on the Westminster City Council. If voters approve, city councilors would no longer be elected at-large. City staff members are piecing together ballot language to make the proposed changes to the city charter for an Aug. 5 review by the city council. If councilors in August agree with the proposed changes to the city charter, Westminster residents can
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