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Voters in the Thompson School District are being asked to support two different school funding measures on the November 2024 ballot, a $220 million bond and an ongoing debt-free mill levy.
Money from the bond would go primarily toward high-priority maintenance needs, educational enhancements, school building security and a new elementary school or additions to existing schools to address growth in the Berthoud area, Todd Piccone, the district's chief operations officer, told the Board of Education during an Aug. 7 study session.
Money from the debt-free mill levy will ultimately be used to improve pay and benefits for teachers and other district staff, Chief Financial Officer Gordon Jones said at that same work session.
The legal requirements of a debt-free schools mill levy, authorized by the state legislature in 2016, limit the uses of money raised through that mechanism to capital construction, maintenance and technology. So, Thompson School District would shift $10 million earmarked for those purposes in its general fund to the new fund provided by the mill levy, freeing up that money in the general fund for other uses, Jones said. Because the ballot language says the additional money generated will be spent on "teacher and other staff compensation," that's where it will be directed to maintain "ballot integrity," Jones said.
The other $3 million would be set aside to start an "emergency fund" for maintenance needs "once the bond projects are done," said Lauren Haug, a parent leading the "Yes 4 Thompson" campaign to get both measures passed.
What impact will these measures have on property taxes?
Taxes on property within the Thompson School District boundary, which reaches into south Fort Collins and Windsor as well as small portions of Boulder and Weld counties, will increase if either or both ballot measures are approved.
Here's a breakdown based on the assessed value of residential property (nonresidential rates are higher), using the tax calculator provided on the Thompson 2024 Bond and Special Levy page of the district's website:
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How would the bond money be spent?
The general overview provided by the district on its website shows $78 million going toward "educational enhancements," $74 million to growth, $58 million to maintenance and $10 million to security.
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Here's a breakdown, based on Piccone's presentation to the Board of Education at its Aug. 7 work session, discussion by the school board at the Aug. 21 meeting and information on the 2024 Bond and Special Levy page of the district's website:
How does teachers' pay compare to other districts?
The primary purpose of freeing up money in the general fund through the passage of the debt-free mill levy is to improve pay and benefits for teachers and other school staff to remain competitive.
While pay for first-year teachers in Thompson lags behind some of its neighboring districts, it's better than others. Its annual step increases, based on years of teaching experience and earning of additional college credits and advanced degrees, are lower than any neighboring district other than Estes Park.
Here's a comparison, based on the starting pay based on published salary schedules, for a licensed first-year teacher this school year with no prior experience and the maximum pay available for an experienced teacher with a Ph.D.
Reporter Kelly Lyell covers education, breaking news, some sports and other topics of interest for the Coloradoan. Contact him at [email protected], x.com/KellyLyell and facebook.com/KellyLyell.news.