Nothing is more important to the future of Colorado Springs than education. With top schools and an educated workforce, good families and the best employers will continue moving here and remaining. Good schools improve the odds of today’s children enjoying successful, meaningful lives.

District 11, the city’s central school district, wants voters to approve a $42 million tax increase to ensure an upward trajectory for local K-12 education. Ballot measure 3E would cost each homeowner in the district an additional $4 to $8 a month for every valuation of $100,000 (see D11.org/mlo for a cost estimate calculator).

District officials promise the money will:

The district commits in the ballot measure to ensuring accountability with an oversight committee of citizens that will review and make an annual public report about use of the funds. The Mill Levy Override Plan details a spending breakdown of:

District employees and school board members argue this investment is badly needed and will continue improvements in key results already seen. They provided The Gazette’s editorial board with 15 bullet points of positive and improving outcomes. Graduation rates have trended up from 78.4 percent in 2013-14 to 81.5 percent in 2016 – beating the state’s 2016 average of 78.9 percent.

The district’s traditional dropout rate decreased from 2.1 percent in 2015 to 1.7 percent in 2016, putting it below the state average traditional dropout rate of 2.3. College remediation rates among D-11 graduates have declined for several consecutive years. Palmer High School’s Sean Wybrant is 2017 Colorado Teacher of the Year. We could go on, but agree a variety of impressive indicators show the district has promise worthy of investment.

It also has work to do before standing out as the kind of district most real estate agents boast about in brochures to attract buyers and boost the value of properties.

Colorado’s preliminary 2017 accreditation ratings for all 178 school district put four schools in the metro area in “turnaround status,” the lowest ranking possible. Three of the four were in D-11. Recent results on PARCC scores (Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers) show need for improvement. In math, 37.4 percent of third-graders meet or exceed expectations, and the number drops to 11.4 percent among eighth-graders. In English Language Arts, 32.2 percent of third-graders meet or exceed expectations and the percentage drops to 24.4 percent among ninth-graders.

Though standardized scores are one indicator of a district’s performance, they fall considerably short of providing a well-rounded picture. As stated above, a slate of impressive achievements show D-11 as a quality district on the rise.

Teachers – more than fancy buildings, administration and tests – are the foundation of good outcomes. Most successful adults credit at least one extraordinary teacher for mentoring, caring and instructing.

The Gazette has consistently expressed concern about low teacher pay in D-11 and throughout Colorado. More lucrative wages in neighboring states, with lower costs of living, increasingly tempt our best and brightest teachers to flee.

Passage of 3E would fund a past-due, across-the-board salary increase of 7.2 percent as specified in the district’s Mill Levy Override Implementation Plan. Should this pass, district officials and the oversight committee should consider devising a merit system that would bonus, or give more than the standard raise, to teachers with proven records of consistently achieving superior results for kids.

If this tax increase passes when ballots are counted Nov. 7, student outcomes should be the highest concern. The money must drive performance that makes D-11 a primary factor in attracting and retaining young families and good employers who want better futures for our youths.

Passage of this tax obligates the business community, media, parents, community watchdogs and the accountability committee to vigilantly assist district officials in making this among Colorado’s best districts in which to learn. The community has an obligation to hold administrators and board members accountable for measurable results. They should include continued rising graduation and declining dropout rates, improvements in test scores, enhancements in school choice, and preparation of kids for immediate jobs or further education at trade schools or traditional colleges.

District 11 needs more money, but only for improving the future of our kids. If the community passes this tax, we all must pay attention and ensure District 11’s ascent. Our local schools should rank among the best in the state.