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Aspen School District outlines bond, mill‑levy and sales‑tax options to shore up finances
Summary
District officials said state funding changes have left Aspen facing multimillion‑dollar gaps and proposed a bundle of ballot items — a bond for employee housing, a mill levy override (up to 47%) and sales‑tax renewals — to stabilize operations and preserve programs. Staff warned federal and state funding reductions make local action urgent.
Darren Mulberry, superintendent of the Aspen School District, and finance staff told the council recent state changes to the school funding formula will disproportionately hurt high‑cost mountain districts. Controller Max Merolt said Aspen has been hit hard — “We actually lost $23,800,000 in funding from 2009 to 2024,” — and that a new formula caps cost‑of‑living factors, exposing the district to an estimated $5,000,000 reduction phased in through 2031 unless local measures replace those dollars.
Mary Rodino, assistant superintendent for business, described the district’s possible ballot package: a bond request for employee housing (one‑time capital), a mill levy override (recurring revenue) potentially increasing the override from 25% to 47% and renewal/adjustment of the Aspen Public Education Fund (sales tax) and Snowmass Village Public Education Fund. Rodino said the district currently funds ~32 positions with the existing sales tax stream and warned that failure to renew or approve increases could mean staffing cuts, program reductions and little capacity to add to reserves. Council asked about district‑wide approaches and whether a property‑tax district or countywide solution could reduce the burden on Aspen residents; staff said legal and boundary constraints limit options in the short term but counsel and further study will continue.
