To the Editor:
Both of my parents spent 30 years working for Jeffco Public Schools. I graduated from Jeffco schools, and now my daughter attends one. Public education has shaped three generations of my family. That is why I wholeheartedly support Amendment 87. I have seen what happens when schools are asked to do more with too little: educators stretch themselves thinner, students lose opportunities, and communities are left trying to fill the gaps. Our children deserve better than another year of making do.
Amendment 87 gives Colorado a fairer way forward. It replaces our flat income tax with graduated rates, lowering income taxes for most taxpayers while asking those with the highest taxable incomes to contribute more. The additional revenue must add to existing funding for public schools, health care, and early childhood care and education. An annual audited report will show how the money is spent. To me, those priorities belong together. Children need excellent schools, access to care, and a strong start in life.
Families also need a tax system that recognizes the difference between a household managing everyday costs and someone earning far more. My parents devoted their careers to Jeffco students. I want my daughter and every Colorado child to have the opportunities they worked so hard to provide.
This November, I am proudly voting yes on Amendment 87. Caitlin Fitzpatrick Jefferson County
“Originally published in The Denver Post on October 1, 2026.”