Frustrated fathers Brad Wann (pictured top right) and David DiCarlo (bottom left) have started a grass roots effort to change the way education is funded in Colorado. The “Wickerdale Walkers,” as they call themselves, have established “Crayons 4 Education”- a program whereby residents mail a red crayon to the state capital to rally support for funding education and to get education financially out of the red and into the black.

By Lisa Crockett and Terri Wiebold

In January, the Douglas County School District (DCSD) conducted a survey and took public comment on how to confront budget issues. Parents, teachers and students weighed in with impassioned pleas for the board to preserve everything from arts education, science programs and special education to protecting existing janitorial and meal services. As of press time, specifics of other budget cutting measures had not been announced.

Frustrated by the impact these budget cuts continue to have on the the schools and the children who attend them, Highlands Ranch residents and neighbors David DiCarlo and Brad Wann formed a group called the “Wickerdale Walkers.” The two dads decided to get off the couch and rally support for educational reform, creating the group which was named for the street they live on and for their determination to walk the neighborhood.

“We want to encourage parents, educators, administrators, and especially legislators to ‘think out of the box’ in terms of the way we fund education,” said Wann. DiCarlo added that simply putting a Band-Aid on the problem (i.e. passing a Mill Levy) is only a temporary fix. “It is an antibiotic that makes us feel better,” said DiCarlo, “but it won’t kill the disease…the fundamental flaw in how education is funded.”

DiCarlo and Wann have addressed the school board (pictured top left) on numerous occasions, urging the board and fellow citizens to join them in a campaign called “Crayons 4 Education,” in which participants are asked to mail a red crayon to the governor’s office. The program is designed to draw attention to, and call for an adjustment to, what DiCarlo and Wann feel are inequities in the way school districts are funded statewide.

“We are in a sea of red,” said DiCarlo. “Red is for the debt the state is pushing onto the county. We will continue our efforts until education is in the black,” he said.

According to DiCarlo, federal and state funds are not distributed evenly around the state. “We’re a top performing district and our reward is less money; it makes no sense.”

One solution the Wickerdale Walkers propose is that Colorado lottery money be used to fund schools (currently, money from the lottery goes into a trust fund that funds park projects.) “Parks are a luxury,” said DiCarlo, “but education is a necessity.”

The group suggests that lottery money be diverted to school funding when unemployment hits five percent and can then be diverted back to the park trust after 24 months, or when unemployment dips below five percent for two consecutive business quarters.

“This is a problem that doesn’t have a ‘left’ or a ‘right’ solution,” said DiCarlo. “We are reaching across the aisle on this issue. The quality of the schools directly impacts the value of our homes. We want to let the governor’s office know that these cuts need to be made somewhere else.”

So whether you are a concerned parent with school-age children or just a resident interested in protecting the value of your home, the Wickerdale Walkers want to remind you that this is OUR problem and it requires OUR input to find and implement solutions. There are many ways YOU can get involved!

For more information on the Wickerdale Walkers and Crayons 4 Education, visit www.wickerdalewalkers.blogspot.com. For more information on Douglas County schools, visit www.dcsdk12.org.