Fort Collins has once again graced the pages of Money magazine, appearing on its list of best places to live in. Albeit sliding four notches down to number six, its Mayor, Mr. Doug Hutchinson, was delighted with the recognition.The magazine highlighted two things about the city: bikes and beer. Fort Collins has 29 miles of in-city bike and pedestrian trails perfect for health buffs who want to do their share in cutting down their carbon footprint. Moreover, after a tiring day, one can enjoy exquisitely brewed beer in any of its high-end microbreweries.
However, it is not all applause for this fine Colorado city. The magazine attributed the Fort Collins’ downward spiral to the budget cuts at Poudre School District (PSD) which has been struggling as it is, like most of the other school districts of the state. PSD laid off 139 full-time employees this year. But according to PSD officials the summation of the magazine was not exactly correct. They did not lay off 139 employees. What they did was eliminate 139 positions, positions mainly coming through attrition and retirement, no layoffs. Moreover, according to Evan Dreyer, a spokesman for Gov. Bill Ritter, most of the struggles that are plaguing public education funding are being brought about by the ailing economy.
Despite everything, there are still lots of reasons to celebrate education in Fort Collins, citing Colorado State University in particular.
“We’re very proud very proud that Colorado consistently rank in the Top 10. And don’t forget that CSU is Gov. Ritter’s alma matter.” Dreyer said. “We… like to look beyond just the beer and bikes.”
