Referendum F offers funds for math, science

Referendum F offers funds for math, science

Oct. 14, 2000

BY MATT GLECKMAN
Journal Staff Writer

If approved by voters, Referendum F would earmark $50 million of excess state revenue to be distributed into math and science grants for Colorado schools over the next five years.

However, opponents argue that the referendum contains a number of flaws and neglects other school subjects of equal importance.

Under the proposal the state would be allowed to keep and spend $50 million in excess state revenue for the next five years. As a result, the average state-tax refund would be reduced by $18 per taxpayer in each of the next five years, statistics say.

According to state projections, Colorado’s annual revenue is expected to exceed $830 million per year; however, if the excess state revenue is less then $50 million in any of the five years then the state would retain the entire amount.

Should Referendum F be passed in the November election a 16-member committee will be created to oversee a performance-grant program which will be responsible for distributing the grant money to schools for math and science programs.

Re-1 Superintendent of Schools Bill Thompson said that while the proposal looks like a good source of revenue for the schools, he is somewhat concerned about strings that could possibly be attached to the individual grants.

"I am a little bit concerned about soft (grant) money," Thompson said. "We could get a fixed amount of money one year to start up a program and the next year the money could be gone and the district would have the burden of keeping the program going."

Thompson said he was also unsure of the process that the schools would have to go through in order to secure a grant or what the grant could specifically be used for.

Supporters of the plan say that, in awarding the grants, priority would be given to:

• School districts with an above-average number of poor students

• School districts with below-average academic performance in math and science

• Programs that have the greatest potential for improving student academic performance in math and science

"The grant program will help struggling schools to meet state standards in math and science. As projections for excess state revenue top $860 million annually, the state has the opportunity and the means to designate extra resources for its schools and its students," backers say in the state’s blue book.

Others, however, say that the fact that Colorado’s economy has done well in recent years does not mean the state should increase government spending on untested programs. Too many of the details of the grant process are left up to the grant committee, which is made up of elected officials rather than educators, opponents say.

The referendum does not contain enough guidelines or room for accountability, they said.

"The proposal reduces tax refunds which Colorado taxpayers are entitled to," opponents say.

Contenders added that the proposal focuses exclusively on math and science programs while many students are unable to meet state standards for reading and writing.

"We need to concentrate on everything," Thompson said. "Those students who do not do well in math or reading usually are not going to do well with science either."