Adams 12 officials warn budget cuts, enrollment decline drove $27 million reduction and 50-plus job cuts

Adams 12 Five Star Schools Superintendent Chris Godowsky and Board President Lori Gold Steen told the Northglenn City Council that the district made roughly $27 million in general fund reductions for next year — more than a 5% cut — and eliminated over 50 positions amid declining enrollment and state funding changes.

The presentation outlined why the district reduced spending, what the district will do with bond proceeds and how facilities decisions tied to safety and maintenance informed priorities. “We had some fairly significant reductions we had to make this last year to our system for next year,” Godowsky told the council.

The district said enrollment now is about 35,000 students across district-managed and charter-authorized schools and that Adams 12 is the sixth-largest district in Colorado. Godowsky said the district’s general fund is about $400 million and that the $27 million cut was driven by a combination of declining enrollment, a state change in how declines are averaged and double-digit cost increases in utilities, insurance and technology. He told the council the district reduced more than 50 positions as part of the plan and made targeted reductions in roles such as teacher-librarians, gifted-and-talented advocates and some intervention services to try to preserve class-size levels.

The presentation emphasized academic gains and programs amid the financial strain: a 87.3% four-year graduation rate for the class of 2024, 71% of students earning 3–5 scores on AP exams last year and expanded career and technical education pathways. Godowsky and Gold Steen also described a newcomer center at Thornton High School for recently arrived students and said the district enrolls more than 500 students from Afghanistan, the largest Afghani enrollment in the metro area.

Facilities and bonds: Gold Steen said voters approved bond measures totaling $830 million last fall, which the district is using for deferred maintenance, rebuilding Thornton High and other capital projects. Thornton High will be rebuilt in phases on the same property over about five years; the district said it is under contract with Adolfsson and Peterson for construction and expects a new central kitchen and food-storage warehouse near Mountain Range High School, with the food facility currently projected to open in 2027. Godowsky cited plumbing failures, structural vulnerabilities and drainage issues at Thornton High as drivers for rebuilding.

State funding and local revenue: District leaders told the council Adams 12 ranks near the bottom of metro districts on property value per student and supplemental (mill-override) revenue, which they said yields roughly $2,000 per student in supplemental funds for Adams 12. Godowsky noted that property wealth differences make local supplemental revenue harder to raise in Adams 12 and argued the state school finance system creates large disparities across districts. He also cited two legislative-commissioned studies released in late 2024 that, he said, concluded Colorado funding is inadequate by large sums; Godowsky said implementing recommendations could yield a dramatic funding increase for districts like Adams 12.

Compensation and program trade-offs: Godowsky said the district prioritized some compensation changes to remain competitive amid teacher shortages and vacancies in special education, high school math and science. He gave a 2023–24 average teacher salary of about $77,000 for Adams 12 and said the district lags neighboring districts by roughly $20,000 in average pay in some comparisons. He warned that without new revenue the district may be forced into larger class sizes and program reductions.

School consolidation study: Council members asked about possible school consolidations. Godowsky said staff are studying several elementary schools with enrollments now under 300 students and will analyze preschool siting, boundary logic and newcomer enrollment trends before recommending closures. He cautioned the savings from an elementary consolidation are typically around $1.2 million — meaningful but small relative to a $400 million budget — and said closing a school prematurely can create problems if enrollment later rebounds.

What’s next: District leaders told the council they will continue outreach to voters ahead of any future supplemental revenue measures, continue long-range facility planning and study potential consolidations and boundary changes over the next 1–3 years. No formal action or vote by the Northglenn City Council occurred on the presentation.

The council’s discussion followed about 37 minutes of presentation and Q&A; multiple council members asked about consolidation criteria, classroom technology costs, and whether Thornton High students will be shifted during phased reconstruction. Godowsky said the phased build will allow students to remain on site in newly constructed segments while older portions are demolished and rebuilt.