Thank you for your support!
We are incredibly thankful and honored that voters in Poudre School District approved a debt-free mill levy override that will collect $49 million annually, increasing by the rate of inflation each year, in perpetuity. This mill levy creates a dedicated revenue source to improve and maintain district buildings and allows the district to re-prioritize more of its general fund for recruitment and retention, classroom resources, career and technical education, and small schools. View the ballot language >>
The funding the district will receive from this measure will help keep our district strong and sustainable now and in the future. See a "Thank You, Voters" video. >>
By passing this measure, you have entrusted us with a great responsibility. PSD is committed to transparency with all funding, including the dollars that will be raised through the mill levy measure. More information about the community oversight committee that is being created to ensure funds are used appropriately can be found below. Updates on how the funds are being allocated will also be shared on this web page and our social media channels.
PSD remains steadfast in its mission to support every student, every day.
Again, we want to thank the voters for their support. The funding from this mill levy override will be truly transformative to PSD now and in the years to come.
Spending Update to Board of Education February 2025
First Collection: Debt-Free Mill Levy Funding in January 2025
PSD began collecting funding from the 2024 Debt-Free Mill Levy in January 2025. This first collection of funding is being used for the following:
- A one-time payment equivalent to 5% of base compensation for all staff was distributed Jan. 31, 2025
- More than 20 facilities projects to be completed in summer 2025:
- Installation of new roof-top units (RTUs) and air conditioning
- Boiler replacements
- Roofing replacements
- Fire alarm systems
- Building automation systems
- Carpet/flooring projects
- Parking lot projects
- Track and field replacements
- Playground projects
Future Collections: Debt-Free Mill Levy for 2025-26 School Year and Beyond
Future collections of the Debt-Free Mill Levy will support all of the following annually:
- $22.9 million in facilities maintenance
- $4 million in small school support and programming
- $2.5 million in high quality instruction and replacement cycles
- $15 million in competitive wages for all staff
Per statute, Debt-Free Mill Levy funding is to be used specifically for facilities.
Mill Levy Funding Goals
Facilities Maintenance
Maintaining and improving school buildings and facilities used by teachers, students, librarians and other staff to ensure secure, adequate, and comprehensive learning environments.
$22.9 million will be allocated annually to maintain PSD schools and buildings. A maintenance plan has been developed that outlines the projects to be completed by school in the first five years. See details and projects by school on the Facilities Projects web page. >>
Small School Support and Programming
Ensuring that students have the individual attention and the greater sense of community they need to learn and thrive by supporting small schools.
$4 million will be allocated annually to stabilize funding for small schools and their programming.
See how the funding will be used for small schools and programs
- $1 million to fund schools with fewer than 200 students
- This funding will be allocated in addition to the existing size factor in student-based budgets, which allocates additional funding to small schools in the district.
- Seven schools in PSD will benefit from this funding in the next five years.
- $2 million in foundational funding, to allocate the minimum amount of funding that schools need to operate.
- Ten schools will benefit in 2025-26 and it is anticipated that two additional schools will benefit from this funding in the next five years.
- $1 million for additional classified and licensed staffing in schools with fewer than 400 students at elementary and 700 students at secondary by increasing centrally-funded assistant principal support
High-Quality Instruction and Replacement Cycles
Providing the well-rounded education that today’s students will need for tomorrow’s jobs and careers.
$2.5 million will be allocated annually to support purchase of curricular materials, including curricular materials for Career and Technical Education (CTE).
See what the funding will purchase
- High quality instructional materials and to provide for high quality instruction across all content areas, including English Language Development (ELD) and Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) in adoption cycles
- Replacement of books and consumables for recent literacy curriculum adoptions
- Inclusion of texts and consumables for dual-credit and CTE courses
- Curricular fee support, which will prioritize music and replacements for musical instruments first, followed by other needed equipment and materials for athletics and extracurricular activities.
Com
petitive Wages for All Staff
Attracting and retaining the best teachers and support staff by maintaining competitive salaries and providing necessary classroom materials.
$15 million will be applied to the salary schedules of all employee groups beginning with the 2025-26 school year and will continue to be included in the salary schedules of all of these groups going forward.
See the funding allocations for each PSD employee group
Each of PSD’s employee associations - Poudre Education Association (PEA), Association of Classified Employees (ACE), and Poudre Association of School Executives (PASE) - will determine how their pro rata share of this funding is applied to their salary schedule. The pro rata share that each association will have to apply to salary schedules is as follows:
- PEA: $9.75 million
- ACE: $3.75 million
- PASE: $1.5 million
Oversight and Planning Committees
PSD is launching two new committees this spring: a Debt-Free Mill Levy Oversight Committee to monitor implementation of the 2024 mill levy program, and a Comprehensive Planning Committee to focus on long-range planning in PSD.
Debt-Free Mill Levy Oversight Committee
The 2024 Debt Free Mill Levy Oversight Committee is charged with becoming familiar with the 2024 Debt Free Mill Levy program. It is responsible for monitoring the progress of the implementation of this program, including ensuring that expenditures are in alignment with the ballot language approved by voters.
Oversight Committee Responsibilities
The 2024 Debt Free Mill Levy Oversight Committee is not a decision-making entity and does not make recommendations about specific projects to be funded by this mill levy. Instead, the committee is responsible for reviewing the district’s plans for use of this funding and information provided by the district specific to the cost and completion of these projects. This committee will consist of 20 people, serving two-year terms.
Committee Members
Appointed committee members (nine) include:
- Chief of Staff: Lauren Hooten
- Chief Financial Officer: Dave Montoya
- Lead Assistant Superintendent: Traci Gile
- Two representatives from PEA identified by the President of PEA: Oren Logan and Craig Moyer
- Two representatives from ACE identified by the President of ACE: Brad Randall and Judy Kinner
- Two representatives from PASE identified by the President of PASE: Josh Richey and Deborah Meyer
Members selected by lottery include (11 members):
- Four principals (one elementary, one middle school, one high school, and one alternative or K-12 school) to serve as advisors: Starr Hill (K-12/Alternative); Hayden Camp (Elementary); Carey Christensen (High School). Note: No middle school representative applied.
- Four parent/guardians with students currently enrolled in PSD schools: Tory Pappas, Jeffry Lindquist, Rebecca Everette, Brady Martucci
- Three community members who reside within district boundaries: Darby Remley, Michelle Finchum, Margot Duque
There may not be more than one representative of any given school seated on the committee, either as an appointed or lottery-selected member. If the lottery generates multiple representatives from a single school, the lottery will continue to be run using submitted applications to ensure a diversity of school representatives.
Applications to serve on the committee were posted on the PSD website, social media and distributed via PSD Now in January 2025. Selection of membership will be completed in early 2025 and the committee will begin meeting in spring 2025 as well. The committee will meet, at a minimum, twice a year and more frequently if deemed necessary by members of the committee. The committee will also provide one annual update on their work to the PSD Board of Education during the Board’s public meetings.
Comprehensive Long Range Planning Committee
PSD is also establishing a Comprehensive Planning committee to support the district’s long-range facilities planning efforts. This is a standing committee that will continually monitor and evaluate facility utilization, boundaries, and the possible need for new school facilities or large-scale renovations in the future.
Work and Recommendations
In its first year of work, the committee will be primarily focused on gathering information, learning about the PSD system and previous long-range planning efforts, as well as the myriad factors that influence building utilization and enrollment patterns across the district.
The committee is charged with making recommendations to the superintendent and Cabinet. It is anticipated that the committee would not put forward recommendations until the end of its second year of operation (i.e. spring of 2027), at the earliest, unless otherwise charged by the Board of Education.
Find more information on the Comprehensive Long-Range Planning Committee web page. >>