"Yes on 3B" supporters have been in the news lately. Brighton Councilwoman Joan Kniss had an opinion piece run in the Brighton Blade, as did Commerce City Councilman Jason McEldowney.

Here's an excerpt from Councilwoman Kniss' article. To read the full piece, click here.

The number of students in School District 27J has nearly doubled in the last ten years. The overcrowding problem facing our schools will only get worse as more families move to the district, and younger kids move into middle and high schools that are even less equipped to handle the influx of students. The classrooms simply cannot accommodate the overwhelming number of new students, and overcrowding is affecting teachers’ ability to provide individual attention and quality education each child deserves.

In spite of this, District 27J has achieved the highest graduation rate in 7 years, surpassing the state average. Test scores have improved steadily since 2008—surpassing the state average in several subjects and grades while statewide scores have been flat. District 27J is a statewide leader in teacher quality, as every teacher has been evaluated annually over the last three years. But this trend cannot continue if the classrooms are bursting at the seams.

Voting “Yes” on 3B would approve a $148 million bond to address the needs of our schools. The bond will cost property owners $3.45 per month for every $100,000 of home value and will allow the district to build several new schools in the district, expand others, and make necessary improvements and common sense safety upgrades across the district. Every single school in the district and every community in the district will see significant improvements from 3B. This investment will help stabilize and increase property values in the district. Our tax dollars will go directly to addressing overcrowding and class sizes, not administration.

And here's an excerpt from Councilman McEldowney's article. To read the full story, click here.

This November, voters in Commerce City, Brighton and Thornton will be asked to consider a $148-million bond to improve School District 27J. Specifically, the bond will allow for the construction of a new high school and two new elementary schools, middle school expansions and the completion of Brantner Elementary school. It also will allow the district to address overdue maintenance needs and make crucial safety improvements to buildings across the district. By voting “Yes on 3B,” we will make a huge difference in the lives of kids in 27J schools, as well as for the district and for our communities, which are growing every day.  

     The school district is already facing the byproduct of this overgrowth; classroom sizes are above target and the district is forecasted to reach a deficit of more than 3,000 seats by 2018 — 306 seats short in the elementary schools in the 2014 to 2015 school year. It’s grown 102 percent over the past 10 years, and now that growth has caused serious overcrowding in our schools. At this point, we simply cannot afford to let it get any worse and we definitely can’t rely on the state to help us either. It’s got to be up to us.