The Challenge
Our community is changing rapidly. No where is that felt more than in our schools. While we celebrate unprecedented growth in student academic success, we also face a greater diversity of needs than ever before with continued funding shortfalls.
Since the state first started cutting education funding in the 2009-2010 school year, Adams 12 Five Star Schools has experienced a cumulative funding shortfall of $373 million. This ranks us eighth in funding compared to 10 similar districts across the Front Range. The cut in funding for 2018-2019 alone is $32 million.
The Reality
The Impact of Funding Shortfalls
Growing Student Population: Lack of resources for growing student population: Our student diversity has grown with increases in special education, gifted and talented, and emerging bilingual students as well as student eligible for free and reduced lunch.
Outdated instructional materials: Nearly 50% of current textbooks and learning materials do not support new standards, and are lacking online interactive components. Also, current makeup of instructional materials is not reflective of the diversity in our community.
Recruiting and retaining world class educators: Staying competitive with neighboring school districts to hire high-quality teachers and staff is getting harder. Economic growth coupled with labor shortages as well as new-teacher salaries that rank in the bottom one-third compared to other districts in the Denver metro area, means we cannot be as competitive when hiring the best teachers.
Increasing Class Sizes: Over the last 10 years, the average number of students per class has increased. In middle school, class sizes are up 1-4 student per class depending on the subject. For high school, it's 2-8 kids per class!
ELEVATE is our roadmap for the future. Over time, we will work to accomplish all that we have collectively envisioned for our students. But the question is when and how fast? Without additional funding, our route to further success is rocky and slow.
With additional funding, we are on the express track to elevated success and will get to accomplish our ELEVATE dreams. So how do school districts get more resources to benefit students?
What's Plan?
So how do we address our changing future? Read about the new ELEVATE plan.