Delivering on our community's investment

Work is well underway to implement key investments that voters approved last November through Ballot Issue 5B, a $39.42 million mill levy override. The override makes critical investments in competitive compensation for world class staff, additional safety and mental health staff, and expanded opportunities for all students in career and technical education (CTE).

World Class Staff

Compensation structures for teachers and support staff will be revised for the 2026-2027 school year so that the district can continue to remain competitive in the region in attracting and retaining world class staff in support of student success. 

The district will invest $25.2 million, the largest amount of the mill levy override, on competitive compensation. The final compensation structure will be negotiated with the associations representing teachers and support staff in the district.

Diverse, Relevant and Personalized Programming 

The district has dedicated more than $9 million for expanding diverse, relevant and personalized programming for students. 

A significant portion of that investment is going toward exploratory classes in career and technical education at the middle school level (grades 6-8). These additional opportunities will begin being offered to students in the 2026-2027 school year. In addition to hiring 11 teachers for these classes, the district is investing in instructional materials and curriculum, as well as professional learning for teachers that is aligned to these new opportunities. All of these exploratory classes will be focused on career connected learning. Students will engage in a variety of hands-on activities that are foundational to careers in engineering, technology, skilled trades, business, and hospitality. Additional CTE classes at the high school level will come online in future years as expansion to the district’s FutureForward campuses at Bollman and Washington Square are completed.

Beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, our high schools and FutureForward CTE campuses (Bollman and Washington Square) will have a dedicated Postsecondary Workforce Readiness Specialist. These staff members will serve as liaisons between our high schools and postsecondary institutions, workforce systems, and employers to ensure every student graduates with a plan for postsecondary education, training, military service, and/or employment.

In the 2027-2028 school year, the district will begin offering all elementary students a fourth special called “IDEAS Lab”, focused on STEM-learning. It stands for Innovate, Design, Engineer, Apply computing and Solve problems. District staff are currently developing the curriculum that will be used for this new specials class.

Plans are also underway to launch new transition supports for incoming 6th graders and 9th graders beginning next school year. School leaders and district support staff are designing programming to best fit the needs of students entering their buildings.

Safety and Mental Health

The district is investing nearly $1.5 million in increased safety and mental health support. 

A significant portion of that investment is the expansion of the district’s Safety and Security Liaison (SSL) program. The number of SSLs will nearly triple from three to eight. SSLs are armed and have all of the proper certifications and training to carry a weapon. While the district’s SSLs will support safety in all schools, their primary focus will be elementary schools as all middle and high schools have dedicated School Resource Officers (SROs). Hiring for this position will be ongoing through this spring with the new SSLs in place for the 2026-2027 school year.

Additionally, all of our middle and K-8 schools will have two campus security officers (CSOs) beginning with the 2026-2027 school year. CSOs deter unsafe or poor behavior by providing high visibility throughout the school; walking and surveying hallways, common areas, grounds and parking lots.

What impact does the mill levy override have on budget planning for the 2026-2027 school year?

Adams 12 Five Star Schools, like most other school districts along the Front Range, is experiencing declining enrollment, due in large part to a low, year-over-year birth rate. The state funds schools based on the number of students enrolled in a district.

As of now, the district is projected to receive roughly the same revenue from the state for 2026-2027 as it did for this school year, despite increasing costs. For example, the district is estimating a 15 percent increase in cost for its share of employee health insurance.

While the mill levy override will help mitigate the lack of funding from the state and allow the district to remain competitive in recruiting and retaining world class staff, in many areas the district will need to right size its resources to reflect the declining enrollment it is experiencing. Over the past several years, our district has experienced steady enrollment declines. Right-sizing is not about reducing opportunity; it’s about ensuring we can continue delivering high-quality education in a financially sustainable way.