PUEBLO, Colo. (KOAA) — Colorado voters will decide in November on a proposal aimed at boosting teacher pay and classroom funding.
Supporters of Proposition NN rallied outside Pueblo County High School on Wednesday to build support for the measure.
Proposition NN would raise the state's spending limit on education, meaning more money could go directly to schools for programs and teacher salaries.
Supporters say the extra funding is desperately needed, arguing that Colorado is one of the worst states for teacher retention.
Pueblo West High School junior James Pacheck says he has seen the impact of low funding firsthand.
"I've been in classrooms where we need to share, like, crappy books that are falling apart, and the teachers don't have extra pencils, and I've even been in a class where we need to get in other desks because of student overflow," Pacheck said.
Kevin Vick, president of the Colorado Education Association, says better pay is key to keeping good teachers, which ultimately helps students.
"By being able to lower our turnover rate through better salaries and better working conditions, we'll be able to keep more educators teaching in Colorado longer, and that's definitely going to translate to better outcomes for students," Vick said.
Backers of the proposition say the money would not just go to teacher pay and classroom supplies. They say it would also help expand career and technical programs to better prepare students for the workforce.
The Scripps News Group reached out to Advance Colorado, a group that is in favor of Coloradans keeping their Tabor funds, stated the following.
“This is the third time in seven years that voters will face a ballot measure from the legislature asking for their TABOR tax refunds. And each time, voters have given politicians a resounding no. Prop NN is a blank check for the legislature, with most restrictions placed on the money going away after 10 years. If politicians just wait 10 years, they can spend billions however they want instead of returning the money to hard-working families,” Advance Colorado.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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