Proponents of a property tax increase for public schools in Basalt, Carbondale and Glenwood Springs contend the downvalley school district has already tightened its belt as much as it can without hurting education.
Question 3E on the ballot in sections of Eagle, Garfield and Pitkin counties asks for a property tax increase to generate up to $4.8 million annually for the Roaring Fork School District No. RE-1.
The school district has cut $4 million from its budget over the last two years, according to Shannon Pelland, assistant superintendent of business services for the school district, and it lost a total of $5.1 million in state revenues.
At this point, it looks like further erosion of funding from the state will require the district to cut another $3 million for the 2012-13 academic year, she said.
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