Dear Editor:
As most local voters are aware, our school district has proposed Ballot Issue 5A to build a new school that will become a cutting-edge center for education of our younger Pagosa kids. The school will house kids in the pre-kindergarten classes through grade 8. Of course the central issue is always cost, and local voters should understand that the actual cost to them will be approximately $48 million. This cost reflects two discounts. First, the cost that is mentioned in Ballot Issue 5A is $79.9 million, and this already includes a 40% discount provided by a grant from the State of Colorado’s ‘BEST’ program (Building Excellent Schools Today). Second, for our local residents, there is an additional 40% discount owing to the fact that 40% of the already-discounted $79.9 million will be paid by part-timers who do not have a vote in our election. (The 40% part-timers was estimated in 2025 by our Town and County’s excellent report entitled “Regional Housing Needs Assessment”; see Exhibit 36 on page 38 of that report.) Thus, the actual cost to local taxpayers will be approximately $48 million. This is not an affront to the part-time property owners; it simply reflects the truth of who pays taxes. For example, if my family owned property in another state, then my family would be subject to any tax increase that might be passed by the local electors in that state.
Black and gold are the colors of athletic teams here in Pagosa, and in an era in which school construction costs have been rising by about 8% per year, the 2026 ballot is a golden financial opportunity to ensure that our kids receive a top-notch education in the coming decades.
Please vote ‘Yes’ on Ballot Issue 5A to support a vibrant learning environment for our kids and their teachers!
Gwen Taylor
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