2024 Mill Levy

Mill levy to support teachers, classrooms, curriculum, neighborhood schools and building upkeep

At their Aug. 27, 2024, meeting, the 修车大队 Board of Education voted unanimously to refer a mill levy question to the Nov. 5 ballot. If approved by voters, the measure would provide $49 million per year, increasing by the rate of inflation, to maintain schools as part of the . This act allows school districts to seek voter approval to fund school construction and maintenance needs through an additional mill levy. During the district's long-range planning process last spring, the Board heard feedback from members of the public that encouraged seeking a mill levy as part of the district's ongoing effort to address financial challenges.

If approved by voters, the mill levy would:

  • Create a dedicated revenue source to improve and extend the useful life of the district’s buildings. 
  • Allow the district to reprioritize more of its general fund for recruitment and retention of teachers and staff, classroom resources, career and technical education and neighborhood schools.

This funding will be used in schools and classrooms and dedicated to the district’s vision of supporting and inspiring every child to think, to learn, to care and to graduate prepared to be successful in a changing world.

Specifically, funds will be used to:

 

Impacts to schools if this question is passed

See how the mill levy will impact your school in this table. >>

 

Estimated tax impact of mill levy

The financial impact of this mill levy on homeowners if the mill passes is as follows:

Residential Home Value

Tax Increase per Year

Tax Increase per Month

$300,000

$75.63

$6.30

$400,000

$100.84

$8.40

$500,000

$126.05

$10.50

$600,000

$151.26

$12.60

$700,000

$176.47

$14.70

 

For businesses, which are assessed at a rate of 27.9% compared to 6.7% for residential properties, the tax increase would be $113.92/year per $100,000 of non-residential value. 

 

The financial impact of this mill levy on homeowners if the mill fails is as follows:

Residential Home Value

Tax Decrease per Year

Tax Decrease per Month

$300,000

$110

$9.16

$400,000

$147

$12.25

$500,000

$184

$15.33

$600,000

$220

$18.33

$700,000

$258

$21.50

 

For businesses, which are assessed at a rate of 27.9% compared to 6.7% for residential properties, the tax decrease would be $166/year per $100,000 of non-residential value.

 

Informational Resources

School finance presentation to the board Sept. 10:

 

Debt-free mill facts

 

Polling results about potential ballot measures

The Board of Education engaged a third-party polling firm to learn more from prospective voters about potential ballot measures being considered for ballot referral. New Bridge Strategy conducted two polls in May and June of 2024.

Additionally, a survey was conducted in association with a letter distributed by the Board to the community in July 2024. See the online community survey results >>

 

Deadline for ballot proposal decision

The deadline to move forward with a ballot decision was Friday, Sept. 6. 

 

Mill levy funding goals

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Attract and Retain Great Teachers

Attracting and retaining the best teachers and support staff by maintaining competitive salaries and providing necessary classroom materials.

Our district faces challenges attracting and keeping exceptional teachers and staff because of the high cost of living and housing. The average PSD teacher salary is less than similar districts along the Front Range—about $4,000 less than St. Vrain Valley 修车大队—and getting closer to the pay offered in similar Front Range districts will help attract and keep highly-qualified teachers.


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Invest in Classrooms and Curriculum

Providing the well-rounded education that today’s students will need for tomorrow’s jobs and careers. 

Our schools and curriculum must adapt to educate today’s students for tomorrow’s jobs and careers. The proposed mill levy would help expand classrooms for career, technology, and skilled trades classes; provide the highest quality, up-to-date, and innovative classroom materials at all grade levels so teachers and students have the best tools possible for learning; invest in books, technology, and other library materials and facilities; and create replacement cycles for musical instruments, athletics equipment, and other necessary classroom materials.


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Maintain School Buildings

Maintaining and improving school buildings and facilities used by teachers, students, librarians and other staff to ensure secure, adequate, and comprehensive learning environments.

The mill levy would provide dedicated funds to extend the useful life of the district’s buildings while ensuring safe and healthy learning environments by replacing outdated electrical, plumbing, and HVAC systems; addressing routine repairs and renovations; and reducing costly emergency repairs.


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Support Neighborhood 修车大队

Ensuring that students have the individual attention and the greater sense of community they need to learn and thrive by supporting small, neighborhood schools.

The Board has heard support from the community for maintaining small, neighborhood schools and funding from this measure could help the district to continue to provide comprehensive programming in these schools.

 

Supporting and Opposing Points

Those who support the mill levy say: 

  • PSD needs an ongoing, sustainable source of funding to pay for building maintenance, which is needed annually, and to fund necessary replacement cycles for things like school buses, musical instruments, curricular materials, physical education and athletic equipment, technology, and security equipment, etc. 
  • PSD’s teachers and staff should be paid at market rates to attract and retain top talent to support our students. 
  • PSD needs funding to renovate classrooms and buildings to ensure that these spaces are adequately equipped, safe, and productive learning environments to best prepare students for the future. 

Those who oppose the mill levy say: 

  • Taxes are already high for residents and businesses in the district and should not be increased any more. 
  • PSD has already received funding from local voters, for example in a bond measure in 2016 and in a mill levy override for increases to teacher and classified salaries in 2019. The district does not need additional funding. 
  • It would have been more fiscally responsible for PSD to close under-enrolled schools before asking voters for additional funding.