The Douglas County School District suffers at its core due to the lack of funding, particularly for teacher and staff salaries. Because of poor pay, many teachers come to DCSD to get a few years of experience due to the hiring desperation, and then immediately turn to districts with higher pay such as Cherry Creek School District.

The solution is to use your rights as citizens of a democracy, and vote in favor of the Mill Levy Override in this ballot. This act will take a slightly higher percentage of tax based on the value of your home, about $20/year per $100,000 of home value. This way, people are only contributing what they can already afford.

Teachers are highly valued as they help to determine the experience and maturity that the upcoming generation has in their adult lives, and they deserve to be compensated for the hard work they put into their students not only in the classroom but outside as well.

In conclusion, we are asking for you to vote this general election period. We can’t change your vote, but we request that it will be in favor of the Mill Levy Override in the upcoming local. These teachers are the reason that our country will succeed in the future, so we think it is only fair that they are properly compensated.

Maddie Gates, Parker