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Woodland Park board weighs raising 2024–25 budget as $4 million in roof work looms
Summary
Board members and staff debated raising the district's preliminary 2024'25 budget above the 2% cap to address urgent buildings-and-grounds needs, including roughly $4,000,000 in roof replacements, and discussed funding options such as referendum, county bonding and grants amid public concern over ECC costs.
The Woodland Park Board of Education discussed increasing the district's preliminary 2024'25 budget above the state-prescribed 2% cap at a special meeting on April 15, citing immediate buildings-and-grounds and curriculum needs.
Dr. Joe Giammarella, a board member, read a statement saying he wanted to 'make sure that our budget is fiscally responsible to the taxpayers of Woodland Park' and that the previously approved 2% increase "was not a realistic number" given the scope of repairs and curricular needs. Dr. Mark Salemi, also a board member, said the Buildings & Grounds committee reviewed the district's needs and "agrees that we need to increase the budget over the 2% originally voted on."
The board and district staff identified several costly capital needs, with staff noting that new roofs at Memorial and CO together have an approximate cost of $4,000,000. Dr. Michele Pillari, a district staff member, described the "core issue" as the need to replace the roofs and urged the board to plan for long-term property needs at the ECC, saying her vision would house all Pre-K at ECC and reassign grade buildings accordingly.
Board members and staff discussed funding options. Adam Weiss, district staff, said one option would be to put a referendum before voters; he also suggested working with the county to pursue a bond. Paul Murphy, district staff, cautioned that while higher-than-expected grants or state aid could reduce the need for local tax increases, those amounts cannot be relied on and saving banked cap for future years could result in larger tax impacts later.
Public commenter Karen Criscione (49 Wallace Lane) pressed the board to publicly discuss the specific repairs referenced by Dr. Salemi and repeatedly raised concerns about the district's Early Childhood Center (ECC) costs, saying the ECC "is bleeding the budget dry." Weiss responded that the district did not perform a full inspection when it entered the lease and that inspections typically occur at purchase; he said lease negotiations included the district's accepting responsibility for repairs in exchange for a locked-in purchase price. Murphy said the district applied for a county tax abatement for the property but it was denied and that rent and taxes are being paid through the preschool expansion grant.
No formal change to the preliminary budget was recorded at the meeting. The board agreed to seek estimates, consider financing options and further discuss a long-term plan for ECC property and other capital needs. Shannon Marren moved to adjourn at 8:06 p.m.; the motion was seconded by MaryAnn Perro and carried by voice vote, 9 yes.
The board did not take a vote on raising the cap during the special meeting; staff and members said further work -- including obtaining roofing estimates and clarifying funding sources -- would inform any subsequent action.
