Election results are in and the Board of Education extends heartfelt thanks to voters for approving 3A for the mill levy override and 3B for the bond. These initiatives will soon translate into valuable assets for our children and our entire community.

Hiring is underway to address excessively high classroom sizes found in schools around the District while broader plans are being finalized to refill the balance of teaching positions lost last spring. By fall of 2009, most if not all lost teacher positions will be restored and class sizes will be reduced throughout the district.

Other positions now being recruited include campus supervisors to assist with school safety, additional custodians, maintenance workers and groundskeepers to better maintain facilities and grounds, and additional computer technicians to install and maintain cutting-edge computer network systems in every school.

Also made possible by the vote is the implementation of the District’s Focus Schools initiative, offering parents and students a broader selection of 21st century academic curriculum. In the near future, various neighborhood schools will acquire high quality instructional programs such as International Baccalaureate, Dual Language, Science and Math, STEM and Pre-Advanced Placement.

Focus schools are a centerpiece of St. Vrain’s plan to elevate its status among Colorado’s highest performing school districts. In the process, we also expect to recapture numerous local students whose parents chose to enroll their children in neighboring school districts with similar programs already in place.

The override will enable the District to be more competitive in the recruitment and retention of highly qualified teachers who have been leaving St. Vrain for higher pay in other Front Range districts. The benefit of recruiting the best new teachers and retaining our most experienced teachers is incalculable and will pay immediate dividends in academic achievement and success.

District officials have begun requesting numerous bids for school repair, renovation and construction projects. These projects, coupled with enhanced instructional programming District-wide, will greatly benefit the citizens and businesses of the St. Vrain Valley School District by adding to property values and strengthening our local economy in general.

As board members, parents and business owners, we realize the importance of this vote. At a time when our economy is strained and many citizens are struggling to make ends meet, the community has expressed its support for academic excellence and a highly successful 21st century public school system.

Once again, we extend our heartfelt appreciation for your vote of confidence, and we, in turn, commit to the highest level of fiscal accountability in the expenditure and intended use of these precious resources.