Thread by @Miller4Students

Thread: Regarding @jeffcoschoolsco’s Capital Program, some have claimed, “our community is confused about what has been completed and what it has cost compared to the original scope and budget.” I disagree. There is no confusion; only discomfort with the truth #edcolo #copolitics

Some say that this “confusion” is due to people not realizing that the Flipbook distributed to Prop 5B voters in 2018 was nothing more than “marketing spin.” The evidence makes clear this wasn’t the case. Get you copy of it here: millerforjeffcostudents.com/resources/Jeff…

In Jeffco’s application for a national award for the Prop 5B public relations campaign, former district communications director Tammy Schiff wrote the following: The Flipbook "summarized what every school was going to receive in terms of renovations or new construction…

Here is Jeffco's submission for the national PR award for the 2018 Prop 5B bond campaign:

millerforjeffcostudents.com/resources/NSPR…

Schiff writes, “In all, over 150 “Mill Levy and Bond Factual Information” presentations where made morning, noon and night over the eleven weeks between the board vote to approve the questions and election night. These presentations were fact-based.”

If the Flipbook was really “just marketing spin” it certainly fooled Colorado Community Media, publisher of the Jeffco Transcript and other local papers. On 18Oct18, these papers ran @coloradonewsCCM’s endorsement of Prop 5B:

“We applaud the district’s commitment to transparency: A citizens financial oversight committee and independent audit of expenditures will make sure money from the measures is spent as intended…

“We also commend the district for listening to criticism from its failed bond attempt in 2016, which cited a lack of clarity in how the money would be used. This time, the district has prepared a detailed booklet and website of exactly where the money will go at each school.”

Finally, Jeffco commissioned an independent review of the Capital Program, by @Moss_Adams, the leading provider of such reviews to school districts in California. You can get it here:
millerforjeffcostudents.com/resources/Moss…

Here are some of Moss Adams’ key findings: “The 2018 Flipbook was the primary communication tool to convey the approximate scope and budget of the Bond Program to voters.”

“14 [Capital Program] projects were not identified in the Flipbook… [Current project] budgets exceeded the site-specific budgets included in the Flipbook by between $110 million and $136 million.” Today, the Capital Program is now $174m over budget.

In sum, the 2018 Flipbook was not “marketing spin.” Rather, it was the basis on which voters made their decision – and the bond passed by only 1,286 votes. The only “confusion” today is why $174m has been spent on cost overruns and projects that were never disclosed in 2018.