A school construction bond is a loan to the District and is the primary way a school district can borrow money for building construction. Bond measure 3B would authorize an increase in property taxes to repay the borrowed money and interest.

The district is asking for a $148 million increase in order to alleviate the overcrowdning of our schools and for safety upgrades.  

Simply put, the overcrowding problem facing our schools will only get worse as more and more families move to the district and younger kids move into middle and high schools that are even less equipped to the influx of students.

If the bond does not pass the district will enact an contingency plan that will feature an extended school day but will even this will cost the district money it does not have nor will it alleviate the need for additional buildings.  Read more about the contingency plan here. 

Recent polling shows some encouraging enthusiasm for the bond measure, especially among parents who know firsthand the seriousness of the overcrowding problem. However, we face real challenges in educating voters in the community who are not parents about why measure 3B is necessary.

We need to educate our neighbors about the bond and encourage them to vote “Yes on 3B.”  That’s why we need volunteers to help us make phone calls and knock on the doors of voters in our community. Click on one of the sidepanel options to volunteer.

We are parents and other community leaders who are invested in ensuring that our schools are properly funded and that our kids receive the education they deserve.  When our schools succeed, we all succeed. 

Taxpayer funds can’t be used for a campaign, so this organization exists to help support the district as they ask voters in Brighton, Commerce City and Thornton to approve a $148 million bond, known as measure 3B.  

All of the bond money will be dedicated to the construction of new buildings and to improvement and safety projects for existing buildings. Bond money will not go toward administration.

The bond will fund:

• Brantner Elementary Completion (2015) will provide adequate capacity through 2020.
• New Elementary #12 (2016) will provide adequate capacity through 2021 or 2022.
• New Elementary #13 (2018) will provide adequate capacity to the north area for at least five years to 2023.
• New High School #3 is expected to provide adequate high school capacity to serve the west area for over 10 years.
• The middle school expansions and portable classrooms proposed will only provide adequate capacity through about 2017.  
• Funding will also go toward improvements and safety upgrades in existing buildings. A complete list of the proposed projects is available on the school district website here.

The Tabor Amendment, passed in 1992, requires by law certain disclosures about property taxes.

The length of the ballot actually protects the financial stability of the district without negatively impacting your property taxes.

The growth our community is experiencing is great for our economy, but it is largely dependent on the strength of our schools. The families that are moving here are looking to our schools to be able to provide a top-notch education in safe, well-maintained buildings. The stronger our schools, the stronger our economy and community will be.

The most immediate need for the district is to increase capacity, reduce class sizes and make improvements and safety upgrades to existing buildings.

First, it should be clear that Iam27J has no position on the issue of marijuana or gaming. These measures will or would provide some money for schools across the state, but not nearly enough to address the needs of 27J.

School District 27J is so overcrowded that we need to build new schools, complete expansions in many other schools, and then complete long overdue repairs and maintenance. These needs will cost roughly $148 million in bonds that will be paid off over a specific period of time.

For example, Amendment 68 (the gaming measure) claims it will produce  over $100 million in revenue. We have no idea how that revenue will be spread across 178 school districts.  Same with the revenue from Amendment 64.

If this money does come to School District 27J, we have no doubt that it will be put to good use. But is is not something we can count on. We need to take the initiative to do what's right for our kids and our community.