Mancos voters on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved a mill-levy override to raise funds for a campus overhaul, but Cortez said no to a similar question to provide money for teacher salaries, technology and better buses. The vote in Mancos School District Re-6 was 73 percent to 27 percent for a property-tax increase to raise some $5 million as a match for a state grant. In Montezuma-Cortez District Re-1, the proposed tax hike lost by a margin of 54 to 46 percent. The majority of the funds it would have raised would have gone to teacher salaries to make the district more competitive in attracting and keeping educators. Superintendent Lori Haukeness said in a statement that she respected the will of the voters but that the district will now face “hard choices.” She said other districts with similarly limited resources have increased class size, eliminated specialty classes, and reduced bus routes.
While Mancos Celebrates School Funding, Cortez Will Face "Hard Choices," Says Haukeness
