supports Adams 12 schools, students, and teachers. Get the facts, FAQs.
Learn why voting YES on 5B
What is a Mill Levy Override?
A Mill Levy Override (MLOs) is a voter-approved property tax that provides funds for the school district’s general fund. These funds go to our local schools and not the state. A mill levy override can be used for operational expenses, such as people, programs and services.
In Colorado, MLOs were created as an option to ask voters to approve additional dollars outside of what was provided by the state. Nowadays, it has become the norm, not the exception, for local school districts to go out to voters to approve an MLO for ongoing operating expenses such as salaries, safety and security, and instructional programming.
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Adam 12 is already feeling the impact of inadequate school funding. This past spring, the district cut $27.5 million and eliminated approximately 150 jobs for the 2025-2026 school year. This will result in larger class sizes, reductions in programming and electives for students, and more challenges in recruiting and retaining necessary staff. All of this impacts our students and our local quality of life.
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Adams 12 Five Star Schools Board of Education has approved a $39.42 million mill levy override ballot question that will appear on the November 2025 ballot as question 5B.
What will the 5B Mill Levy Override be used for?
To keep the district competitive with the market average, the district is asking voters to approve 5B, a $39.42 million mill levy override investment. If passed, 5B would fund significant investments in world class staff, academic programming, and student safety and mental health. Voting yes for 5B will support recruiting and retaining teachers and staff, enhanced school safety and security, additional mental health support for students, and expanding programs such as career and technical education and more STEM classes which leads our students to successful careers. Support quality schools in Adams 12 by voting YES on 5B
How will the MLO funds be used?
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Teacher & Staff Salaries: Recruit, retain, and remain competitive for highly-effective staff
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Academic Programming: Provide diverse, relevant, and personalized learning opportunities
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Safety & Mental Health: Enhance school safety and security, and student mental health
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Charter Schools*: Proportionate share of MLO funds for all four District-authorized charter schools. (*MLO sharing per state statute)
More details about how the funds will be used...
Teacher and Staff Salaries
Increase compensation to be competitive to the market average of nearby districts across all employee groups (~$25.2M)
EXPANDING Student Academic Programming:
Career and Technical Education (CTE) Expansion
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Add teachers, instructional materials and curriculum for new CTE expansion including, new high school CTE pathways and exploratory CTE classes at all middle and K-8 schools (~$2.3 million)
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Add Postsecondary/workforce readiness coordinators (~$1 million)
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Cover tuition and associated costs to support students in dual enrollment, concurrent enrollment and college-level courses (~$65,000)
Transition Support
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Add staff to provide targeted small group instruction for identified 6th and 9th graders (~$1.2 million)
Elementary STEM focus exploration (~$4.6 million)
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Add STEM-focused exploration teachers
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Purchase instructional materials and design/acquire curriculum for makerspaces, robotics, coding, design challenges and engineering
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Create opportunities for students to experience specials classes twice a day and elementary classroom teachers to have two planning periods
Safety and Mental Health:
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Add Safety Security Liaisons, MS Campus Security Officers and Night Security Guard (~$1.1 million)
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Add School-Based Therapists (~$320,000)
Charter Schools*
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A proportionate share of MLO funds will be provided to all four District-authorized charter schools. Charter schools determine how they will invest their funds. Please connect with the charter schools directly for their potential investments. (~3.6 million)
* MLO sharing per state statute
What is the tax impact?
The process for assessing property taxes is established by the state of Colorado. County assessors who are mandated to reappraise all properties every other year. 2023 was an appraisal year and any adjustments in assessed value took effect in the 2024 tax year. The property assessment process is the basis for generating property tax revenues that pay for schools, roads, fire protection, police protection, and other local services. All of the revenue generated by property taxes stays within the county. Property taxes do not support any state services.*
The $39.42 million mill levy override proposal would cost a homeowner an estimated $5 per month for every $100,000 of home value. As an example, the average home value within our district boundaries is $661,000 and if the MLO was passed by voters, this homeowner would pay an additional $34 per month in property taxes based on the assessed value as of December 2024. Support Adams 12 schools in 2025 by voting YES on 5B.
STRONGER SCHOOLS & BRIGHTER FUTURES MATTER.
