Longmont City Council seemed supportive of a special district supporting early childhood development, though any explicit endorsement won’t be coming until the district’s plans are finalized.
The Early Childhood Alliance pitched the creation of an Early Childhood Development Special District to council on Tuesday, which could go to voters this November. Matt Eldred, executive director of the TLC Learning Center, explained the proposal on behalf of the Early Childhood Alliance, which would be the first special district of its kind in Colorado if approved.
Eldred highlighted the value of early childhood education and the severe lack of resources for children from birth to age 5 and their parents. As proposed, the special district would encompass the St. Vrain and Boulder Valley school districts in Boulder and Weld counties, with the option to expand later if desired.
The alliance is currently going through the multi-step process to get the special district onto the ballot. A service plan, which is almost completed, will eventually go to a hearing with the Boulder and Weld county commissioners to decide whether or not to approve the plan, then the district will need to collect 200 signatures from eligible voters and be approved before going on the ballot.
Voters would then decide whether to establish the special district and, separately, whether to fund that district with a property tax. Eldred said the mill amount was still being determined.
If approved, the secured funding stream would help pay childcare providers and educators, expand capacity and quality of these programs, and work to ensure that the needs of all children and families are being met in this area.
Right now, Eldred said the district is working to generate buy-in from the community, hear from families and providers and strengthen partnerships with existing systems.
He emphasized that the special district has no intention of constructing buildings, but instead distributing money to existing providers and services and investing in systems. He said the first year, if approved by voters, would focus on establishing the voter-approved special district board and establishing a criteria for how these dollars will be invested. Eldred added that the staffing for the special district would be limited as well.
While Tuesday was just a presentation, Eldred confirmed that the alliance would return once they had the wording for the ballot question requesting an endorsement from the Longmont City Council and others in the proposed special district boundaries.
