As expected after nearly a year of researching possible tax increase for schools our Douglas County School Board approved a ballot question that even research demonstrated it may not pass. The last bond and MLO tax issue may have passed because charter schools were promised funds from the approved vote. I agree that charters should receive some of the funds but why are they receiving bond money when the state provides over $100 per child to charters for capital needs when our regular schools have to rely on local tax money? Charters should receive MLO funds equal to what the per-pupil allocation would allow but for our students only. Charters enroll over 70% of all out-of-district students and receive our local money. Since our superintendent claims other districts have more MLO money than Douglas County then shouldn't these students coming from other districts attending our charters with open arms bring the MLO funds from their district with them rather than us funding them? The Stem Academy enrolls over 400 out-of-district students taking our local money. Why should we approve more bond/MLO funds when our students get a smaller share and charters already get more capital money from the state than regular schools?

Dave Usechek

Parker