Fifty-one buses from Falcon District 49 in El Paso County drove north to the state Capitol on Thursday in an effort to send a message to state legislators about education cuts.
Buses came adorned with messages on windows that read “no cuts” and “fund our future” in response to Gov. John Hickenlooper’s proposed $332 million budget cuts to K-12 education this year.
“These buses represent kids, and they represent jobs,” said Dave Martin, president of the District 49 school board, who organized and led the bus rally. “I want us to start making our kids first and making them a priority. I understand cuts have to be made, but let’s not make the kids suffer.”
Martin said the district raised $6,000 Wednesday to offset costs of the trip.
Sen. John Morse, D-Colorado Springs, met Martin on the west steps of the Capitol, where the school-board president handed the senator 84 keys as a symbol of all the district’s buses.
In preparation for reduced funding, the district voted to slash bus services to students for the 2011-12 school year. As a result, many of the drivers who made Thursday’s trip will lose their jobs.
“Many of the people behind the wheel of these buses will soon be unemployed,” Martin said, pointing toward the line of vehicles as they drove past the Capitol.
“This is a pointed visual message of what these cuts mean to people,” Morse said. “Since this proposal to make cuts was made back on Feb. 15, I’ve been committed to cutting the governor’s figure by $100 million.”
Rep. Mark Waller, R-Colorado Springs, whose district includes Falcon, said he wasn’t notified by District 49 officials of any bus rally at the Capitol.
“I didn’t even know they were here until they’d come and gone,” Waller said. “Nonetheless, my goal is to keep as many dollars in Colorado classes for our state’s children.”
Students were not present at the rally; the district is on spring break this week.
Kurtis Lee: 303-954-1655 or klee@denverpost.com
