Adams 12 school district asks county commissioners to support proposed ballot measure for teacher pay, CTE and student supports

A representative identified as Chris presented Adams 12’s proposal to the Board of Commissioners and requested county support ahead of a voter measure. The district framed the measure as a local funding ask to help retain teachers, expand career and technical education (CTE) and add school‑based supports.

What the district proposed

Chris outlined several priorities that district leaders say voters would fund through a local ballot measure: stepped compensation investments across teachers, support staff and principals; expanded hands‑on CTE programming (examples cited included aviation mechanics, cosmetology, advanced manufacturing and dental assisting); more post‑secondary and work‑based learning coordinators at high schools; expanded STEM and elementary planning time; and additional school‑based mental‑health therapists and security specialists.

Cost and phasing cited in the presentation

The presenter described a compensation package target of roughly $25 million for teacher compensation increases, about $5 million for support staff, and roughly $1.5 million for principals. An additional allocation of $3.5 million was described for targeted investments at Title I schools to improve recruitment and retention, and about $3.6 million was described as a proportional allocation for the district’s four charter schools that the district authorizes. Chris said the package also included funding to expand CTE offerings, concurrent enrollment access, and work‑based learning supports; the district expects the incoming funds after a successful vote would reduce the need for further cuts in the next school year.

Rationale and local context

The district representative cited consistent improvements in graduation and AP pass rates during the district’s recent history and emphasized the competitive disadvantage created by neighboring districts’ higher local funding levels: the presentation compared per‑pupil local revenues at neighboring districts and said significant additional local revenue (tens of millions of dollars) would be required to reach peer funding levels. The presenter said state funding pressures and declining enrollment have forced prior staffing cuts and reductions in student supports.

Board responses and next steps

Commissioners expressed strong support in the session for the district’s goals and asked to be kept informed. Several commissioners said they would be willing to endorse or draft a resolution supporting the measure; county staff offered to draft a proposed resolution for the board’s consideration and share it for review. The board requested more details about the proposed measure’s final language before taking any formal board action.

Ending

County commissioners requested a draft resolution and indicated broad informal support for the district’s priorities; staff and the district agreed to return to the board with a proposed draft resolution and any additional details commissioners request.