FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Jeffco voters are being asked to make an important decision about the future of our schools. 

Here are the facts behind some of the questions we hear most often.

When will we vote on the Mill and Bond?

The Mill Levy Override and Special Purpose Mill will be on this November’s ballot. Election Day is November 3. Ballots will be mailed October 2nd. The ballot measure numbers are 5A for the Mill Levy Override, and 5B for the Special Purpose Mill.

What is the difference between the Mill Levy Override and the Special Purpose Mill?

  • 5A is a $73 million mill levy override focused on people and programs. Funding will support making compensation more competitive and expanding Career & Technical Education opportunities. Jefferson County Public Schools ranks 9th lowest of 10 in teacher pay among neighboring districts and has a wait list of 1,500+ students for CTE programs.  While we are still striving to meet the needs of all children, every year we fall behind other districts and it gets harder and harder to keep up. 

  • 5B is a $60 million special-purpose mill dedicated to capital, construction, technology and maintenance. That includes needs such as fixing leaky roofs, repairing failing HVAC systems as well as plumbing, aging infrastructure, technology and safety improvements. This fund will help Jeffco immediately start to address the $131 million in deferred maintenance. Additionally, since the law requires that special-purpose mill revenue be restricted to capital needs only, this will provide an on-going funding source for capital needs into the future.

Why do we need a Mill Levy Override and a Special Purpose Mill?

Great schools make for a great Jeffco. They provide an educated workforce to attract businesses and protect property values. They also prepare our students for success, whether in college or a career, upon graduation. Passage of both the mill and the special purpose mill will allow Jeffco Schools to:

  • Recruit and retain talented educators and staff

  • Move over 1,500 students off the waitlist for Career & Technical Education programs

  • Fix failing infrastructure, including a $131 million backlog in building maintenance

We have so many more people here than before, doesn’t that mean more property tax income and more money for schools?

Local property taxes are one drop into Jeffco’s funding bucket, but they do not determine the amount of money available for our schools. 

Property taxes don’t just fund our public schools; only a portion of those taxes go to our schools. The state makes up the difference between a school district’s local property tax and the total funding. As a result, when local property tax funding increases, the portion filled by the state is reduced and the total remains the same. Property taxes going up (or down) don’t equate to changes in public school funding.  

Local voters can make an impact, though - the funds from the Mill Levy Override like 5A, and the Special Purpose Mill in 5B stay local and are outside of this state funding calculation. This means that they are voter-approved local funding specifically for Jeffco Public Schools.

Didn’t we pass a mill and bond in 2018? Why do we need to do this again?

Yes, in 2018 Jeffco voters approved a bond and mill. The 2018 5A Mill Levy Override was used to attract and retain the best teachers and staff, improve school safety and security, and increase career and technical education programming and STEM options. The 2018 mill was able to provide an infusion of much needed funding for staff and other general fund needs.  

However, as other neighboring school districts have increased their local funding while the state faces another looming budget crisis, the simple reality is that compared to our neighboring districts Jeffco has a $140 million funding gap, receiving ~$1,900 less per student than our neighbors.

A bond is not the same thing as operating revenue. The 2018 bond provided $567 million for capital construction projects. Bond dollars are one-time funds restricted to physical investments; they cannot be used to pay recurring teacher salaries. Bonds also require repayment with interest. Once those funds are gone, there is no more support for on-going capital needs like repair and maintenance.

Eight years later, facilities have continued to age, and the list of needs has grown with a current $131 million in deferred maintenance needs alone. The 2026 5B ballot question requests annual  funds of $60 million for ongoing capital facilities needs.

How do taxpayers know Jeffco’s money is well managed? 

For both 5A and 5B, the transparency and accountability tactics built into the language is straightforward: the measures will require citizen oversight, annual public reporting and online disclosure of spending.

The two measures also work differently. 5B is legally restricted to capital, construction, technology and maintenance purposes. It cannot be shifted into ordinary operating expenses.

Additionally, teachers, educators, and community leaders in Jeffco have publicly committed to ensure transparency and accountability. We are all standing together to support Jeffco in ensuring that these funds are focused on support for front-line teacher and staff roles, going straight to support our students' learning.

Why should taxpayers provide more money instead of requiring the district to live within its current budget restraints?

That is ultimately the choice voters are being asked to make.

Jeffco has already made significant reductions. Those choices have reduced spending. They have not changed the fact that Jeffco competes for teachers and employees against neighboring districts with greater resources, has students waiting for CTE programs, and has ongoing maintenance needs across a large portfolio of school buildings.

The question before voters is therefore not simply whether Jeffco should cut spending or raise revenue. Jeffco has already cut spending. The question is what level of schools, staffing, programs and facilities the community wants — and is willing to fund going forward.

There are other funding measures on the ballot — if they do, or don’t pass, does Jeffco still need the MLO?

Yes! While other funding measures can provide additional funding to public schools they are designed to l help all schools in Colorado. 

This won't stop Jeffco from losing educators to Denver, Boulder, or other regions. If we cannot stay competitive, we risk losing the ability to recruit the best new educators and keep the best we do have (whether they leave earlier in their career, retire earlier, leave the profession, etc) then we risk impacting our students’ access to the best educators in Colorado. 

The special purpose mill will help Jeffco to keep our schools warm, safe and dry.

How much will the Mills cost?

Find your assessed value here. Current estimates are that 5A and 5B would cost approximately $273 yearly for a home assessed value of $650,000 home.

Why do we need more money in Jeffco Schools?

Jeffco is one of the lowest funded districts in the front range and metro area. The schools continue to deliver results despite that lack of funding, and fight hard to support students and teachers:

  • 94% graduation rate for neighborhood high schools

  • 4th-6th grade math scores have improved between 4% and 8% from last year,

  • District level data for ES, MS, and HS shows we outperformed the State in both Math and ELA in 5 of 6 categories.

  • From 20-21 to 24-25 had a 4x increase in students earning state-approved industry 

This is an impressive stretching of resources, but every year we fall further behind neighboring school districts it gets harder and harder to produce results. If we want Jefferson County Public Schools to be an “A+ school district" we need to provide the resources to make that happen.

Why doesn't the district just sell its vacant schools and properties?

Jeffco has been selling and leasing surplus property. There are two important distinctions:

  • First, selling a building produces one-time revenue. Teacher salaries, classroom programs and other operating expenses recur every year.

  • Second, under district policy, proceeds from surplus-property sales are directed to capital investments such as district building improvements, rather than being used for recurring expenses such as salaries. This is because one-time resources do not resolve long term funding needs.

Jeffco sold property and a funding gap remains. Property sales can, and do, help address Jeffco's capital needs. They do not create ongoing funding sources or meet the needs that comparable to 5A and 5B are targeted to address.

What about the marijuana money?

The marijuana tax doesn’t generate nearly enough income to solve Colorado’s education funding problems. Marijuana tax revenue distributions are established in state law and occur through the budget process each year. Fifteen state agencies, multiple local governments, and the state General Fund will receive marijuana tax revenue in FY 2025-26. K-12 schools received $83.3 million for school construction and school funding, representing 33.3 percent of total marijuana distributions. But that’s for the whole state and doesn’t make up very much of the state’s $10 billion public education budget.

Where can I see the numbers for myself?

Jeffco Public Schools publishes its budgets, financial reports, information about past voter-approved measures, capital projects and 2026 funding proposals online. The Colorado Department of Education independently publishes school and district performance data.

What do the ballot measures actually say?

Jefferson County School District R-1 Ballot Issue 5A

SHALL JEFFERSON COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT R-1 TAXES BE INCREASED $73 MILLION IN 2026 FOR COLLECTION IN 2027, AND BY SUCH AMOUNTS IN SUBSEQUENT YEARS THAT WILL PRODUCE, WHEN COMBINED WITH PRIOR MILL LEVY OVERRIDE AMOUNTS, UP TO THE LIMIT ESTABLISHED FOR THE DISTRICT BY SECTION 22-54-108(3)(B)(VI), C.R.S., WITH SUCH FUNDS TO BE USED FOR THE PURPOSES AUTHORIZED BY SECTION 22-54-108, C.R.S., SUCH AS THE FOLLOWING: 

  • ATTRACTING AND KEEPING · HIGH-QUALITY STAFF BY RAISING COMPENSATION CLOSER TO THE MARKET AVERAGE FOR TEACHERS, EDUCATION SUPPORT PROFESSIONALS, SUPPORT STAFF AND SCHOOL LEADERS; 

  • PROVIDING STUDENTS WITH THE · INSTRUCTION, SKILLS, AND HANDS-ON LEARNING NECESSARY FOR SUCCESS IN COLLEGE AND THE WORKPLACE THROUGH CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS; AND SHALL THE SPENDING OF SUCH TAXES BE REVIEWED BY A BOARD-APPOINTED CITIZENS' COMMITTEE FOR ACCOUNTABILITY, SUMMARIZED IN ANNUAL PUBLIC REPORTS, AND POSTED PUBLICLY ON A WEBSITE FOR FULL TRANSPARENCY;

AND SHALL A MILL LEVY BE IMPOSED AT A RATE WHICH WILL GENERATE REVENUES UP TO THE LIMIT ESTABLISHED FOR THE DISTRICT BY SECTION 22-54-108(3)(B)(VI), C.R.S., AND SHALL THE ADDITIONAL REVENUES BE DEPOSITED IN THE GENERAL FUND AND USED FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES AS PROVIDED HEREIN, AS PREVIOUSLY APPROVED BY THE DISTRICT VOTERS PURSUANT TO SECTION 22-54-108(V), C.R.S., AND AS AUTHORIZED BY STATE LAW; AND SHALL THE REVENUE FROM SUCH TAXES AND ANY EARNINGS FROM THE INVESTMENT THEREON BE COLLECTED AND SPENT AS VOTER-APPROVED REVENUE CHANGE UNDER ARTICLE X, SECTION 20 OF THE COLORADO CONSTITUTION AND ANY OTHER LAW?

Jefferson County School District R-1 Ballot Issue 5B

SHALL JEFFERSON COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT R-1 TAXES BE INCREASED $60 MILLION IN 2026 FOR COLLECTION IN 2027, AND ANNUALLY THEREAFTER, AND UTILIZED FOR THE PURPOSES AUTHORIZED AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 22-54-108.7, C.R.S., (THE DEBT FREE SCHOOLS ACT), PROVIDED THAT SUCH REVENUE MAY BE INCREASED ANNUALLY (AFTER THE FIRST FULL FISCAL YEAR) FOR INFLATION BASED ON THE ANNUAL CHANGES IN THE CONSUMER PRICE INDEX; WITH SUCH REVENUE TO BE DEPOSITED INTO A DEDICATED FUND ONLY TO BE USED FOR CAPITAL CONSTRUCTION, TECHNOLOGY, AND MAINTENANCE, AND UTILIZED FOR AUTHORIZED PURPOSES SUCH AS: 

  • CRITICAL UPGRADES AND · MAINTENANCE OF SCHOOLS SUCH AS PLUMBING IMPROVEMENTS, PARKING LOT REPAIRS, AND REPLACING OR REPAIRING FAULTY, DANGEROUS, AND LEAKING ROOFS; 

  • PROVIDING AND REPAIRING COOLING, · HEATING, AND VENTILATION SYSTEMS FOR A BETTER LEARNING ENVIRONMENT; 

  • REPLACING AND UPDATING AGING · INFRASTRUCTURE AND TECHNOLOGY; 

  • SAFETY AND SECURITY INVESTMENTS · SUCH AS SECURE ACCESS AND MONITORING; 

AND SHALL THE SPENDING OF SUCH TAXES BE REVIEWED BY A BOARD-APPOINTED CITIZENS' COMMITTEE FOR ACCOUNTABILITY, SUMMARIZED IN ANNUAL PUBLIC REPORTS, AND POSTED PUBLICLY ON A WEBSITE FOR FULL TRANSPARENCY; AND SHALL A MILL LEVY BE IMPOSED AT A RATE SUFFICIENT TO GENERATE REVENUES UP TO SUCH AMOUNT SPECIFIED ABOVE, AND SHALL THE REVENUES FROM SUCH TAXES AND ANY EARNINGS FROM THE INVESTMENT OF SUCH REVENUES BE COLLECTED AND SPENT AS A VOTER-APPROVED REVENUE CHANGE UNDER ARTICLE X, SECTION 20 OF THE COLORADO CONSTITUTION AND ANY OTHER LAW?