A youth-led coalition has mobilized through the Rocky Mountain Partnership and is working with I am 27J to help educate and turn out voters in order to pass a mill levy override this fall.
Learn more about this effort, and how YOU can take urgent action below.
Election Day is Less Than A Week Away!
Election Day is next Tuesday, November 8th!!
Youth and families in the 27J Schools Community need your support. A mill levy override will provide funding to help improve teacher retention and talent, provide more career development opportunities for learners, and increase safety for students at school.
You can find this mill levy override listed as SCHOOL DISTRICT 27J BALLOT ISSUE NO. 5B.
Where do I drop off my ballot or vote?
It is too late to mail your ballot, so you will need to drop it off at a 24-hour drop box site or voter service and polling center in order to have your vote counted. Click the button below to find the one closest to you, and share this resource with community members in your network.
Action You Can Take: Spread the Word
Help get the word out on why the mill levy override is so important to the Brighton and Commerce City communities. Click the button below for messaging and graphics you can use on social media, in emails, and more.
Click HereEducation and Awareness Efforts Underway through RMP’s Youth-Led Coalition
RMP’s Youth-Led Coalition has been out in the community connecting with youth, parents, and other key stakeholders about why a mill levy override is so important for the 27J Schools community.
You may have seen RMP’s Civic Influencers at:
- Southeast Elementary School
- Commerce City Youth Commission
- Brighton Youth Commission
- Northglenn Youth Commission
- 27J Schools’s’Walk & Knock
- Pennock Elementary Trunk or Treat
- Adelante Community Development’s Entrepreneurs Graduation
- Shopneck Boys & Girls Club
- Brighton/Prairie View High School Football Game
- 27J Schools Family Safety Night
- Crossroads Center Community Event
- Brighton Harvest Fest
- Eagle Pointe Recreation Center
Prairie View High School Students Voice Support for 5B
Students from Prairie View High School voice their support for the mill levy override and call on voters to support Ballot Issue 5B in the video below.
What is a Mill Levy Override?
In the video below, RMP Steering Committee Member and Civic Influencer Gabriela Chavez talks about what a mill levy override is, the impact it will have on 27J Schools families, and why passing the mill levy override is so important to her.
News and Updates About This Effort
RMP’s Youth-Led Coalition Highlighted by Univision
RMP Steering Committee Member and Civic Influencer Gabriela Chavez and RMP Civic Influencer Ana Ruiz spoke with Univision Colorado this week about the work of RMP’s youth-led coalition, the importance of community voice driving this work, and how critical public education funding is for students and parents in the 27J Schools Community.
Click the button below to view the interviews.
Commerce City Cuts Taxes To Offset Increased Funds For 27J Schools
Commerce City City Council passed a tax cut last week that they say would offset most of the taxpayer cost for 27J Schools’ mill levy override that is on the ballot this election.
Click the button below to read the full article from 9News.
How will the Mill Levy Override Impact Youth and Families?
[perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”Gabriela Chavez, RMP Steering Committee Member & Civic Influencer” link=”” color=”#62B1B8″ class=”” size=””]I have seen how 27J teachers have struggled with limited funding for their lessons and materials. I can also remember numerous teachers that were struggling financially and left to other jobs or took on a second job, and the days when the school staff took turns subing a single class simply because they couldn’t get us a substitute because of lack of funding.[/perfectpullquote]
The RMP Team has been connecting with current and former students and parents from 27J Schools through focus groups and individual interviews to hear directly about how they believe additional school funding will impact the district, and the larger community.
From those conversations, community members believe a successful mill levy override will support Brighton families by:
- Ensuring students can utilize a variety of crucial education-related services that their parents want for them but are unable to pay —like needed tutoring, transportation, after-school enrichment, counsellors, and Career and Technical Education
- Providing students stronger career development opportunities, more comparable opportunities to students in nearby districts
- Preventing further elimination of positions for teachers and support staff, freezing of their pay, and reduction their benefits
This is just to name a few!
Learn More
Learn more about this effort and how you can get involved by contacting Christina Amparan, RMP Senior Director of Community Engagement and Advocacy, at ChristinaAmparan@RMPBackbone.org