Adams 12 superintendent asks Broomfield council to support $39.42M annual mill‑levy override

Adams 12 Five Star Schools Superintendent Chris Kadowski asked Broomfield City Council on Sept. 9 to consider supporting a ballot measure the district certified two weeks earlier that would raise roughly $39.42 million per year in operating revenue if approved by voters.

Kadowski and Board President Lori Goldstein outlined the district’s rationale: Adams 12 ranks 14th of 15 metro districts in per‑pupil funding, experienced more than $27 million in cuts this spring and eliminated about 150 positions this year. Kadowski said the mill‑levy override would primarily fund three priorities — employee compensation to retain and recruit staff, expanded career and technical education programs and enhanced student safety and mental‑health services.

“We're asking for a $39,420,000 per year increase in revenue so that we move out of fourteenth position out of 15 Metro Area school districts in terms of funding,” Kadowski said. He told the council the measure would increase taxes by about $34 per month on the district’s average‑valued home (~$661,000) and that six inclusionary or targeted investments are intended to put the district on a more competitive footing.

Council members asked for clarifications about how mill‑levy overrides work and the consequences if the measure fails. Kadowski said failure would likely force additional cuts and reiterated the district’s service commitments to unhoused students and refugee families. He described staffing shortages — about 120 support‑staff vacancies and roughly 20 teaching vacancies — and cited an 87.3% four‑year graduation rate for the class of 2024.

Several residents spoke in favor of the override during the public comment segment; at the conclusion of the discussion Council Member Marsh Holshon asked staff to draft a formal resolution supporting the measure. The council gave staff direction without objection to prepare that resolution and work with the district on timing and language.

Next steps: staff will draft the resolution for council consideration; the district’s public hearing on the proposed budgets and additional study sessions are scheduled ahead of an Oct. 28 council vote on city budgets.