Montezuma-Cortez RE-1 school district’s highly watched mill levy issue on the election ballot is passing by voters in the district.
Unofficial results updated as of Nov. 9 say 53.54% said “yes,” and 46.46% said “no.”
The 3.9 mill levy will raised teacher salaries to around $47,000. Paraprofessional salaries will increase by $2,000. There are currently 205 teachers and 70 paraprofessionals in the district.
A mill levy measure of this kind has not passed in Cortez before.
According to the ballot language, the mill levy will raise taxed by $2.1 million “for collection in 2025 and annually thereafter by whatever amounts are raised … for the purpose of improving student outcomes by increasing the salaries of teachers and teachers’ aides (paraprofessionals).
Some of the benefits listed were attracting and retaining qualified educators to Cortez.
The mill levy was first mentioned at a Montezuma-Cortez school board meeting in March. At the time, the district was considering the mill levy for teacher salaries and applying to the BEST grant for a new elementary school.
At that meeting, Superintendent Tom Burris told attendees that the mill levy was being considered to make teacher salaries more competitive.
“We’re not being competitive at $40,000,” Burris said, adding that Durango and Shiprock schools are paying their teachers $50,000 and higher.
In June, the district sent out a survey to see what the community’s response would be to putting a mill levy override on the ballot in November. After receiving “positive feedback” on the mill levy, the district announced during their July meeting that it would officially be on the ballot.
The district said that out of nearly 1,000 respondents, there was a 60% positive ranking.
Burris also wrote a guest column in The Journal in October in an attempt to explain to the community more how the mill levy would affect local educators.
“If it passes, teachers’ annual salaries would jump from about $40,000 per year to $47,000. As is, we’re losing them to Durango with a salary there at $51,500 and Shiprock, $54,000,” Burris said. “Paraprofessionals’ salaries would increase by $2,000 per year, if the measure passes.”
