Has a Colorado school district been illegally campaigning its own tax hike, with public money?

More on that in a moment on the Face The State Radio Minute.

Voters in Jefferson County will soon decide whether to OK a $34 million dollar tax increase for the local school district. But were school administrators illegally campaigning when they sent a letter home with students promising “ominous” consequences should the tax hike fail?

The district’s communications director says the letter simply describes the current budget situation. Ben DeGrow, an education policy analyst at the Independence Institute, disagrees. He told us the letter is designed to “scare parents” into voting for a tax increase.

State law prohibits the use of public money – including staff time and printing costs – to advocate for or against a ballot issue. With high-powered teachers’ unions pumping thousands of dollars into a yes campaign, the district has no excuse for violating the law.

For FaceTheState.com, I’m Kate Melvin.