Adams 12 Board certifies $39.42 million mill levy override for November ballot

The Adams 12 Five Star Schools Board of Education voted unanimously Wednesday to place a $39,420,000 mill levy override on the November ballot, a proposal district leaders say is intended to shore up teacher pay, expand programming and add security and mental-health staff.

Deputy Superintendent Beau Fobert said the measure is designed to address a “competitive disadvantage” the district faces compared with neighboring districts and to stabilize staffing after deep cuts last year. “Because of declining state funding last year, we had to cut $27,500,000 from our budget last year, approximately a 150 jobs,” Fobert said during the board meeting.

The proposal would be a local, voter-authorized supplement to state funding. Board members certified the ballot question during the meeting; Directors Assad Lucas, Battistelli, Goldstein, Marsh Holschen and Potter each voted “Aye.” Board staff estimated the measure would cost the owner of a home valued at $661,000 about $34 a month based on assessed valuations cited in the presentation.

Why it matters

District leaders and school principals told the board and the public the mill levy override is intended to blunt staff turnover and support programming that local voters approved last year through a bond measure. Tim Griffin, Adams 12’s chief human resources officer, said vacancies are already affecting operations and instruction: “As of today, we have…