School District authorizes mill levy override and bond for November ballot
The Board of Education (BOE) of Douglas County School District (DCSD) has authorized a Mill Levy Override (MLO) and bond for the ballot this November.
At the August 8 meeting, the BOE voted unanimously for a $66 million MLO and $484 million bond to pay for an increase to teachers’ salaries and to maintain School Resource Officers (SRO), the security on campuses. Currently, DCSD teachers make $15,000 – $20,000 less than neighboring school districts, and the MLO would help retain and recruit teachers to DCSD.
“The future of Douglas County is literally sitting in the classrooms today,” said DCSD board president Mike Peterson. “You may have heard that DCSD is the engine that drives our county; help us charge that engine.”
In addition to SRO funding, the bond would cover school and safety upgrades, trade, career and technical education for students, and facilities upgrades to reduce overcrowding.
If voters approve the MLO and bond, Douglas County homeowners would pay $20 per year, per $100,000 of home value. For example, a homeowner with a house valued at $1,000,000 would pay $200 per year.
Many residents weighed in at the August meeting. Senior citizens, teachers, principals and students made their voices heard. “For me, I was ready to vote after the students [spoke],” said David Ray, BOE director. “I wrote her [student] quote down, ‘funding matters when it comes to quality education’.”
“We are moving from our funding needs being in an urgent state last year to a critical state this year,” concluded Peterson.
To learn more about the MLO and bond and to see how each school in DCSD would benefit, visit funding.dcsdk12.org.
Information and graphic provided by DCSD
