Thornton council urges voters to approve Adams 12’s $39.42 million mill-levy override

Thornton City Council on Tuesday unanimously adopted a resolution urging Thornton voters to support an 8.795 mill levy override that Adams 12 5 Star Schools placed on the November 2025 ballot to raise $39,420,000 for district operations.

The council action came after Superintendent Chris Kadowski described the district’s funding gap and how the levy revenue would be used. "We propose to invest roughly $25,000,000 of the $39,000,000 in compensation," Kadowski said, adding the funding would also expand STEM and career-technical education, increase school safety staffing and add mental-health supports.

Kadowski told the council Adams 12 ranks near the bottom among 15 metro-area districts in supplemental local funding, leaving the district roughly $50 million per year behind some neighbors and $90 million behind the highest-funded districts. He said the district currently has about 15 classrooms without licensed teachers and roughly 40 unfilled paraprofessional roles. "We have 15 teacher vacancies in our district and more than 100 support staff vacancies," Kadowski said.

Why it matters: The override would be a local property-tax increase to fund recurring operational needs — primarily employee compensation and student services — rather than a one-time capital bond. Kadowski said the ask aims to make educator and support-staff pay more competitive in the region and to provide smaller classes and hands-on programming beginning in elementary school.

What council heard: Mayor Pro Tem Bigelow, who introduced the resolution for immediate approval, emphasized schools’ role in neighborhood strength and property values. Council member Martinez highlighted the levy’s potential to keep neighborhoods competitive and cited the superintendent’s estimate that the cost to an average Thornton homeowner (median home value cited at roughly $661,000) would be about $34 per month.

Details the district presented to council and residents: - Levy amount: 8.795 mills, estimated to raise $39,420,000 annually if approved. - Primary spending areas: approximately $25,000,000 for compensation increases; expanded STEM and career-technical education (CTE); targeted supports for sixth- and ninth-grade transitions; additional school safety specialists and more mental-health staff. - Safety staffing: the district said it currently uses three armed security specialists (a roughly 1-to-10 ratio for elementary coverage) and proposes adding five post‑certified security specialists to move closer to one armed, certified responder for every four elementary schools; the district said it does not plan to reduce School Resource Officers in middle and high schools. - Mental-health caseloads: Kadowski said caseloads for social workers/psychologists often approach 65 students per staffer. - Local impact estimate: the superintendent said the measure would materially benefit the roughly 36,000 students served by Adams 12, many of whom live in Thornton.

Council action: Mayor Pro Tem Bigelow moved the resolution for immediate approval; the motion passed unanimously.

What’s next: The levy will appear on the November 2025 ballot for voters to approve or reject. If approved, the district will phase planned increases and program investments as described to council.