District 11 unveils budget prioritizing instruction, 10% pay increase and use of reserves

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — The Board of Education of Colorado Springs School District 11 on Wednesday heard the administration's proposed 2025'026 budget, which places a top priority on instruction and proposes a districtwide 10% salary increase while tapping fund balances to pay for one-time and recurring costs.

Superintendent Randy Goll opened the meeting's public session by reading his letter to the budget book and said the district will keep putting "dollars closest to students." Deputy Superintendent and Chief Resource Officer Dr. Brandon Comfort then reviewed assumptions underlying the proposal, including a projected per-pupil funding amount of $11,546 and roughly $100 million in combined fund balances across multiple funds.

The budget shifts more of the district's resources to classroom instruction, showing an instructional share of general fund spending that Comfort said rose to 59.9% from roughly 57% two years ago. "You've got to remember every single percent represents 1% of $353,000,000," he told trustees, noting the district had redirected roughly $7 million toward instruction over two years. He described the package as focusing on compensation, facilities and "hands-on learning" including apprenticeships and site-based budgeting.

A public hearing drew one commenter: Becca Kenderdine, a District 11 teacher, told the board she had participated in a pilot for the district's CKLA curriculum but could not get materials for English learners despite repeated requests. She said she later found "unspent money in last year's budget" on board documents and urged the board to investigate and ensure timely distribution of classroom materials.

Budget details disclosed to trustees included: - A 10% across-the-board proposed raise for staff (Comfort said the 10% does not include benefit increases). - Increased recurring funding targeted to roles that support instruction and $9 million of MLO money appropriated to compensation. - $198 million in capital appropriations (largely driven by multi-year borrowing and projects in progress), with $18 million of MLO set aside for capital projects. - A move to a site-based budgeting model and $700,000 set aside for SBB implementation and fall adjustments. - School discretionary funds consolidated partly by moving Title I discretionary funding into the general fund for easier local management.

Board members asked detailed questions about restricted fund balances, preschool accounting, the mill levy override (MLO) unallocated balance and how the district will ensure funding sustainability. Comfort said the district carries large reserves "north of $100,000,000" and that the MLO is already largely appropriated for capital and compensation but that a nonrecurring MLO balance remains for one-time items.

The board discussed procedural next steps: the budget items on the agenda were presented as non-action items Wednesday and were scheduled to return as action items at the board's regular meeting the following week; trustees also signaled interest in additional executive-session legal advice on personnel and employee-group issues that could affect budget line items.

Why it matters: District 11's budget priorities shape pay, class services and capital work across 54 schools serving tens of thousands of students. Proposed recurring increases in compensation and continued shifts of central dollars to schools are intended to keep staff and focus resources on instruction in a district that has sought to reverse long-term enrollment declines.

What to watch: The budget returns as an action item at the June 4 regular meeting, with board votes due then; trustees also asked for follow-up clarification on preschool accounting, the MLO nonrecurring balance and staff positions that have been carried for employee-group representation.

Ending: The administration and the district's budget advisory committee said they will keep refining assumptions ahead of next week's action vote and will supply additional detail to trustees on the items raised during Wednesday's hearing.