DENVER - With about $350 million being cut from K-12 education in Colorado, one parent group is eying lotto money.
The lotto brings in $114 million to outdoor projects, conservation and state parks every year. A group called the Wickerdale Walkers is suggesting a trigger: when unemployment hits 5%, divert the money away from the outdoors and into K-12 education for 24 months, or until unemployment drops below 5 % for two quarters.
"My kids are the ones that ultimately are affected by this. The parks don't do as much for their future as those schools do," said Wickerdale Walkers co-founder David DiCarlo.
But not everyone likes the idea.
"Our outdoors mean a lot in terms of what people think about when they think of Colorado," said Chris Leding with Great Outdoors Colorado. She believes the funding needs to stay the way it is, because the outdoor recreation draws tourists and companies looking to move.
The funding mechanism was set by a constitutional amendment. In an effort to change that, the group is trying to collect signatures in order to get a citizens initiative onto the ballot in November.
The lotto brings in $114 million to outdoor projects, conservation and state parks every year. A group called the Wickerdale Walkers is suggesting a trigger: when unemployment hits 5%, divert the money away from the outdoors and into K-12 education for 24 months, or until unemployment drops below 5 % for two quarters.
"My kids are the ones that ultimately are affected by this. The parks don't do as much for their future as those schools do," said Wickerdale Walkers co-founder David DiCarlo.
But not everyone likes the idea.
"Our outdoors mean a lot in terms of what people think about when they think of Colorado," said Chris Leding with Great Outdoors Colorado. She believes the funding needs to stay the way it is, because the outdoor recreation draws tourists and companies looking to move.
The funding mechanism was set by a constitutional amendment. In an effort to change that, the group is trying to collect signatures in order to get a citizens initiative onto the ballot in November.
