On Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2024, the Adams 12 Five Star Schools Board of Education unanimously approved the placement of a $34.5 million mill levy override for operations (Ballot Issue 5D) and an $830 million bond for buildings (Ballot Issue 5E) on the November ballot. Read more about the specific Blueprint funding measures

There are two primary investment areas – facilities and programming– that the Five Star community has helped the district identify. Additional funding is needed to address the priorities in both investment areas and the district will ultimately ask voters to decide on how best to fund them.

Ballot Issue 5D authorizes an 8.129 mill property tax increase, also known as a Mill Levy Override (MLO). Revenue from an MLO can be used for programs and staff, but not for construction or repair of buildings. This would raise $34.5 million annually and would cost a homeowner about $20 more each month on a home valued at $500,000. Below is a summary of some of the investments. For more details, visit the Programming Investment page.

• Attracting and retaining top-tier talent and ensuring a high-quality education
• Expanding access to more special classes for elementary students, including adding Computer Science classes at all schools
• Hands-on courses such as architectural design, aviation, and engineering that equip students with skills aligned with emerging industries
• Exploratory career and technical education (CTE) classes for middle school grades (6-8), allowing students to discover interests in business/entrepreneurship, computer science/robotics/digital arts, family and consumer sciences, pre-engineering and construction trades.

Ballot Issue 5E allows the district to increase debt by $830 million without raising taxes. Below is a summary of some of the investments. For more details, visit the Facilities Investment page.

• Improving school safety
• Replacing aging roofs, heating, cooling, and plumbing systems
• Repairing and improving school grounds
• Rebuilding and modernizing aging schools
• Expanding career and technical educational facilities

Adams 12 Five Star School is juggling increasing demands with diminishing or flattening funding sources. Without new funding, the district will not be able to address the needs identified by Five Star learners, families, educators, and the community. Here are a few key factors that led to the district’s current financial situation.

• Despite recent increases to starting salaries and cost of living, the district’s average teacher salary still lags behind Boulder Valley, Cherry Creek, Denver, Jeffco, Mapleton, St. Vrain and Westminster.
• The last voter-approved funding measure was passed in 2018 – nearly six years ago.
• The pandemic forever changed the way students learn, creating a financial strain on the district.
• The district continues to defer basic maintenance on schools and school grounds due to a lack of funding; and due to inflation those costs increase every year.
• One-time emergency federal funding stemming from the pandemic, which has helped fill financial gaps, is drying up in 2024.
• Given the increase in property taxes, the district was required to lower its property tax mill levy by 10 percent this year to maintain compliance with the Taxpayer Bill Of Rights (TABOR).
• The state’s school funding formula resulted in $6.7 million less funding for this school year alone.