Dear Editor,

I have been very concerned about the misinformation that has been circulating throughout the Gilpin County community about the school’s Education Enhancement Tax revenue that the school receives from Black Hawk. Black Hawk voters approved the 1.5% sales tax on food, beverage, and lodging in November 2008 to help the school.

I will ask the Board of Education at the May 7, 2024, meeting at 7 p.m. at the school to adopt a Black Hawk Education tax fact document and ask that this document be distributed to everyone in Gilpin County so everyone has accurate information. And, so everyone understands how important this money is to the school and how devastating the loss of this revenue would be for our school children.

The school would lose the Black Hawk tax funding immediately for a short list of reasons including when a county-wide sales tax question is approved by voters. Voters need to tell County Commissioners that the Black Hawk money is needed to keep our local school in operation.

Yes, the school did borrow $4.2 million dollars to build a sewer pipe to the Sanitation District down in Black Hawk. The money was borrowed to maintain positive cash flow and to keep the Department of Education’s reserve amounts available. The $4.2 million will be paid back with the Black Hawk tax revenue.

Contact me if you have questions so we can get accurate information about the school’s Black Hawk tax revenue out to all Gilpin County residents.

I hope to be sending you a fact sheet in a few weeks.

Thank You

Joe Marr

Vice President, Gilpin RE-1 School Board