The District 11 school board plans to consider a $42 million property tax increase Wednesday, which would go on November’s ballot. Draft language says the money would:

– Attract and retain “high quality teachers and support staff” with competitive salaries.

– Repair, maintain and modernize buildings.

– Expand technology for students by upgrading “computers and equipment.”

– Provide equitable funding for charters schools (required by a 2017 bill signed into law by Gov. John Hickenlooper).

– Pay for a school resource officer at each middle school to improve safety.

– Pay for more “counselors, nurses, psychologists or social workers.”

– Pay off debt sooner.

All are good goals, and the district needs more money. Like most Colorado districts, D-11 is losing some of its top teachers to Wyoming and other states that pay considerably more – in communities with much lower living costs.

The concern with this proposal is its complete lack of a detailed plan for investing the money. The draft is a classic “just trust us” ballot question that offers no commitment of improved outcomes for children in a community that needs more from its central school district.

The state last week released test scores of the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC), and D-11 continues producing a majority of students scoring below expectations and state averages.

We also cannot expect better results by simply throwing money at the problem without a plan for course correction. Think of investors risking capital. They want to know how a plan will nearly guarantee a return.

We will not see recruitment and retention of “high quality teachers” if the board and administrators use new tax money for a run-of-the-mill, across-the-board wage increase. As previously explained in this space, teachers recruited by Wyoming schools can instantly realize an increase in their standard of living of $40,000 or more. The best in the field won’t come here or stay here for a few thousand bucks spread evenly among the professional workforce without regard for performance.

Any tax increase for District 11 should be tied to a plan for paying significantly higher compensation to teachers based on an established metric of outcomes. Voters should ask for a plan that rewards teachers for improving overall student performance. The district should assure voters, with a plan, the new revenues will attract and retain a growing community of teachers who rank among the best in Colorado. Use the money to fund a culture of success.

Voters should know what percentage of new revenues will “repair, maintain and modernize” buildings. A commitment of minimal funds and a list of projects would tell us what to expect for the investment.

Voters also need to know what percentage of funds would pay for acquisition and maintenance of “computers and equipment.”

To ensure results, the ballot measure should commit portions of the money to escrow until results are achieved. Perhaps each 5 percent improvement in across-the-board PARCC scores would release the next phase of funding. Use administrative and board-level expertise to devise promising details the public will gladly support.

Colorado Springs voters are discerning and smart when asked for more money. They seldom go for “trust us” tax proposals that are devoid of details and high-probability outcomes. When funding transportation, they want a list of intersections, bridges, roads and projected completion dates. They don’t want promises for unspecified improvements to be overseen by committee.

Similarly, voters have every right and reason to expect detailed promises of specific results before raising their taxes for schools.

This tax proposal needs more work before going to the ballot. Make it about results that will directly benefit the kids this community cherishes and needs, or it will almost certainly fail. That would be a shame, because good teachers need more pay and our kids deserve the best educations we can afford.