Ralston Elementary PTA

Search all sites

School Information

Ralston Elementary School
Kindergarten - 6th Grade

25856 Columbine Glen Avenue 
Golden, CO 80401 

Main Office: 303-982-4386 
Attendance: 303-982-4350 
Transportation: 303-982-2324 

School Hours: 8:45 - 3:30
Office Hours:8:00 - 4:00

Ballot Issues 2012

In the upcoming November election there will be a number of ballot issues affecting our school finances.  Take the time to stay informed and keep others informed!  

If these initiatives do not get voter approval, Jefferson County Schools will lose more than $40 million and more than 600 jobs (on top of cuts already in place from the last few years!).  We already spend less than we did in 2007 on Jefferson County Schools.

Background

Jeffco community members, parents and business leaders told members of the Board of Education that they support more funding for education.  Led by a volunteer organization called Citizens for Jeffco Schools (www.supportjeffcoschools.com), the group urged the board to put a bond and mill question on the November ballot.  At the May 3 meeting, Board members directed Superintendent Cindy Stevenson to write ballot language for a $39 million mill levy override and a $99 million bond initiative.  That would mean a tax increase of about $1.23 per month, per $100,000 of a home value for the average Jeffco homeowner.

In the last three years, Jeffco’s cut more than $63 million from the general fund, 9 percent of the operating budget. Jeffco has used more than $73 million from the rainy day savings account to soften the cuts but using rainy day money is no longer an option. Jeffco faces almost $45 million in cuts for the 2013-2014 school year; the cuts include 600 jobs, 396 of those are teaching jobs.

Stevenson said asking the voters to approve a mill and bond, “Is a critical action that will help save jobs and keep devastating cuts away from our students.  We need everyone’s help to be successful in the fall,” she said.  “We will use the money from a mill levy increase to restore two days of school for our students, keep teachers and provide funds for our charter schools, technology and central support.”

To view a video about the budget:

In quicktime: http://stream.jeffco.k12.co.us/communications/28April2012BOEComm.mov

In windows: http://stream.jeffco.k12.co.us/communications/28April12BOEComm.wmv


Get Involved
  • Talk to everyone you know!! This will be a grassroots campaign run on a shoe-string budget. One of the best ways to get the word out is to email people and talk to everyone you know at ball games, in your neighborhoods, at church etc. about the need to pass the 2012 Mill and Bond. Feel free to forward this email to your email lists. To those of you who are Jeffco employees - I know you can't pass this email on, but you can take note of these websites and craft your own email using your personal email address to pass it on! 

  • Make time to help with the campaign!!! We are all busy, but we all have to prioritize our children’s education and make a few hours for each of us to work on the campaign. That may be putting up yard sign, handing out flyers door to door, speaking to groups at churches and civic organizations etc. This is a grassroots campaign, so that means we all have to get creative. In 2004, parents printed off flyers to hand out at baseball tournaments, churches and shopping centers. People just did whatever they could think of to help spread the word. We only won by a few votes, so everyone’s efforts really did count. Please visithttp://www.supportjeffcoschools.com/ to sign up to help! 

  • Make a donation to the campaign!!! Please visithttp://www.supportjeffcoschools.com/ to make a donation. Every dollar counts and no donation is too small!!!

Other Info
Comments