Re: “,” Oct. 30 Vincent Carroll column.
Amendment 66 is a landmark proposal that would dramatically change the way we invest in our schools here in Colorado, and we at the Denver Public Schools have been asked by many parents, community members and news organizations about the potential impact of Amendment 66 on Denver’s schools and the potential investments DPS would make with the additional tax dollars.
The e-mail from Superintendent Tom Boasberg to the DPS community was sent to provide that factual information. It was not an endorsement of Amendment 66, as Vincent Carroll characterized it.
Tom has a very strong commitment to communicating with our community about any issues that could impact our schools and our kids. Amendment 66 is clearly one of those issues, and we have an important obligation to provide information about it to our community.
The e-mail that went out to our community provides information about how our schools are funded, facts about where Colorado stands in comparison to other states, and transparency to taxpayers about how the additional tax dollars would be spent to benefit our kids if the amendment passes.
Our community would rightfully raise concerns about transparency and accountability if DPS did not spell out how it would spend these taxpayer dollars.
DPS leadership is very mindful of the important responsibility they have to our community to present information about ballot proposals and not endorsements. The e-mail was reviewed thoroughly by the DPS General Counsel’s Office to make sure it adhered to the guidelines set out in the Fair Campaign Practices Act.
The vote on Amendment 66 is a critical vote for the future of our schools and our communities. It’s a decision on hundreds of millions of dollars in public funds. It would be irresponsible of DPS not to share information with our community about what the measure means for Denver.
Mary Seawell is president of the Denver Board of Education.
