With two elementary schools on the chopping block, their community responded in a big way.
The East Grand County School District had given a community group until this past Tuesday to come up with $500,000 to save Fraser Valley and Grand Lake elementary schools, and that night the group showed up with the money in hand, buying the two schools at least one more year.
“We all appreciate that good, strong schools are the nucleus of any community,” said Ron Nelson, a member of the community group. “We’re looking not just to be an acceptable school system but an excellent school system.”
With the community keeping its end of the bargain, the school board passed a resolution to dip into the district’s reserve funds and match the $500,000 to cover the projected $1 million budget shortfall without closing any schools.
The East Grand County School District had proposed closing the two schools to make up for the shortfall that was projected in the wake of statewide education cuts.
But a community group stepped forward and said it would raise the money itself.
Eleven different groups gave donations, including four towns and Grand County, which donated $170,000 from its Forest Reserve Fund.
“We had some very dedicated supporters, and as momentum gained, people started coming up to us,” Nelson said.
But even as the community celebrates, questions remain about what comes next.
The additional year will be a mere stay of execution if the district is not able to find a long-term funding solution.
An ad hoc committee that will look into possible solutions is being formed. The committee will have more than 20 members, with representatives from the groups that donated, both West and East Grand County school districts and every town in Grand County.
The committee will try to find a long-term solution to fund the school districts. One solution being pushed is a sales tax that would be similar to the 0.5 percent tax passed by Routt County in 1993, which has been extended by voters in three elections and supports three school districts.
“I think it’s the most evident and most feasible option,” said East Grand Superintendent Nancy Karas. “I’ve seen the community outpouring for these schools, and it makes me think that if we all pull together, we can make this happen. But I know that there are some people who will struggle with another tax.”
Since a tax would most likely be countywide, West Grand County School District — facing a $500,000 shortfall of its own — will have representatives on the committee.
“Selling a tax at the west end of the county will be difficult,” said West Grand Superintendent Kevin Chalfant. “But at the same time, people here take pride in their schools and their education. In the end, they have to decide whether they are getting adequate education or we are in jeopardy of losing that.”
Since the tax proposal would go on the November ballot, the committee hopes to reach a decision by May so that it has time to campaign.
“We have to get the community educated, get them to come listen and make an informed vote,” Karas said. “We’ve tightened and tightened our belt, and we’re at the point where the system is starting to break. We need the locals to step up and support our children during this crisis.”
Mitchell Byars: 303-954-1698 or mbyars@denverpost.com
This article has been corrected in this online archive. Originally, due to a reporting error, one of two Grand County schools
considered for closure was
incorrect. The two schools that were under consideration were Fraser Valley and Grand Lake elementary schools.
