Douglas County School District is moving closer to asking voters this November to sign off on a mill levy override, a property tax increase district leaders say would help pay for teacher raises, special-education services, career-and-technical programs and school safety upgrades. Staff is expected to bring a formal proposal to the school board later this month, with members signaling that any ballot referral would be finalized over the summer. District officials say inflation and a string of past fixed-dollar overrides have left DCSD with a lower effective tax rate than neighboring districts and fewer dependable revenue streams.
Board inches closer after favorable polling
At a recent public hearing, the district unveiled polling that showed about 55% of respondents were inclined to support a new mill levy override, according to CBS Colorado. Superintendent Erin Kane told the outlet that the district's mill levy override tax rate "is significantly lower than it was in 2013" and that earlier fixed-dollar measures have not kept pace with rising costs. Those polling numbers, along with the staff's proposed schedule, were presented to trustees as the case for moving ahead, with a staff plan due to the board on Tuesday, April 21 and a final decision on a ballot referral expected this summer.
District leans on recent wins
DCSD is also pointing to its recent voter-approved measures as evidence that residents might be open to another ask. The district says a 2023 mill levy override funded an average pay increase of roughly 9% for teachers and freed up money to hire additional security staff, steps leaders argue have helped slow turnover, according to Douglas County School District materials. Even with those gains, administrators contend that previous overrides were written as fixed-dollar amounts that do not automatically rise with inflation or new development, which they say has allowed the effective tax rate to erode over time. Board documents show staff is now studying a rate-based MLO that would adjust with growth and inflation to create a more stable funding stream.
What it could cost you
District officials estimate that a new mill levy override would likely cost homeowners about $30 a year for every $100,000 of residential value, a ballpark figure Superintendent Kane discussed with CBS Colorado. Leaders emphasize that the exact millage rate and detailed spending plan will be hammered out by staff before any measure lands on the ballot. Supporters argue that the relatively modest hit to individual tax bills could fund pay and services that might otherwise require deeper cuts or sharper tax increases down the road.
Next steps and local reaction
Staff is slated to present the formal proposal at a board meeting later this month, and the trustees' public calendar lists summer meetings where a referral vote could take place, according to Douglas County School District board materials. Between that staff presentation and any potential August referral, the district expects to hold community town halls and public hearings so residents can dig into the numbers and pose questions directly. If the board ultimately places a measure on the November ballot, voters can expect a full-blown campaign from both supporters and opponents, setting up one of the local tax battles to watch when election season hits this fall.
