Douglas County school board sends $54 million tax measure to November ballot
The board voted 7-0 to refer a proposed mill levy override to voters, but final certified ballot wording was not available in the records reviewed.
The Douglas County School District RE-1 board voted 7-0 on Aug. 25 to ask voters for a tax increase expected to raise about $54 million annually for employee compensation, school security, career and technical education and restored student programs, according to district records and reporting on the board action.
The measure is scheduled for the Nov. 3, 2026, general election in Douglas and Elbert counties. The district’s election agreement with Douglas County assigns the county responsibility for ballot production and mailing, election judges, tabulation, canvassing, recounts, audits and records retention. The district’s election agreement and resolution set Sept. 4 as the deadline for the district to submit certified ballot content.
The available records do not contain the final certified ballot title or question. The resolution says the proposed question would be submitted in “substantially” the form included in the document, while the attached TABOR notice remains a template with placeholders. Douglas County Elections said ballot content would be finalized two months before Election Day and that a composite ballot would be posted in September. The page did not show the district measure when reviewed Sept. 5.
The proposed measure would raise the district’s mill levy override cap to the maximum allowed under state law. The resolution says the tax would begin in 2026 for collection in 2027 and continue annually if approved. The amount collected would be determined by the mill levy and statutory limits, rather than necessarily remaining fixed at $54 million each year.
District materials describe the proposed uses as more competitive salaries and inflation adjustments to retain and attract employees; school security, including school resource officers; reduced waitlists for career and technical education; and restoration of programs such as elementary instrumental music. The proposal also calls for an annual independent audit to be posted online and oversight by a citizens committee.
District-attributed estimates reported by CBS Colorado put the tax impact at $33.70 annually for every $100,000 of home value, or about $236 for a $700,000 home. The available records do not explain the valuation basis or calculation, so those figures should be treated as district estimates rather than independently calculated tax bills.
The district’s financial rationale includes a projected $15 million to $18 million budget gap, according to Colorado Politics. The publication reported that the proposal would include about $21.4 million for a 4% compensation increase and $12 million for charter schools, along with funding for security, special education, instructional materials and workforce-development programs. Those allocations were reported as district estimates and are not all specified in the supplied election agreement.
If voters approve the measure, the resolution says the authority to levy the property tax would continue. The records reviewed do not identify the proposed citizens committee’s members, appointment process or reporting requirements, and they do not provide a final first-year revenue projection after changes in the property-tax base and statutory calculations.
Election timeline
- Sept. 4, 2026: District deadline in the supplied agreement for certified ballot content.
- Sept. 21, 2026: Deadline listed for TABOR ballot-issue notice materials.
- Oct. 9, 2026: Ballots scheduled to be mailed and drop boxes to open.
- Nov. 3, 2026: General Election Day.
- Nov. 25, 2026: Final certification deadline listed in the agreement.