Sam Nuanez, Executive Director of Communications & Partnerships
At the award-winning Litchfield Elementary School District (LESD79), administrators, teachers, and staff have been working diligently on student success as we are Growing Graduates to become the leaders of tomorrow. We take this honor seriously as we strive daily to create the best learning environment for our students and give them the tools they need to lead them to educational excellence.
But as students need tools and supplies to navigate a school year, districts also need resources to successfully serve their students and school communities. With rapid growth on the westside of the district, several schools are at or nearing capacity. Belen Soto Elementary School has reduced their library significantly for additional class space while Verrado Elementary School is repurposing existing space to increase instructional capacity. Both Belen Soto and Verrado Elementary School will be adding portable classrooms on their properties. This puts added strain on already limited resources as LESD79 strives to give their students and staff the best educational experience possible.
At the May 9, 2023, Governing Board meeting, the board approved the district to go out for a $100 million bond, primarily to build a new school to address the growth and crowding issues. Along with nearly half of the bond, $48 million, being designated for a new school, $40 million will be used for school renovations and facility improvements. $7 million will go for school safety and security upgrades, while the remaining $5 million will go towards technology and buses.
When districts go out for a bond, one of the first questions voters ask is, “how much will my taxes go up?” If this bond is approved by voters, secondary property tax rates are not anticipated to increase based on property values and other financial estimates. (The average annual tax rate for the proposed bond program is estimated to be $0.41 per $100 of limited assessed valuation.) The other thing to know is that a bond funds capital projects including construction and equipment—projects that are intended to benefit the District in the near term and over time. No bond funding goes to salaries or programs.
As LESD79 students continue their journey towards educational excellence, they also face challenges such as learning in overcrowded schools, the removal of a library to create more learning space, and the loss of outdoor areas for placing portables.