Littleton Public Schools is asking voters to approve a $10 million property tax increase to fund teacher pay and close a budget gap. Ballots are due by 7 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3.
The measure, known as ballot question 4A, would raise property taxes by about $25 per year for every $100,000 of home value, according to district estimates. For an average Littleton home valued at $600,000, that works out to roughly $150 per year.
The mill levy override, or MLO, comes as the district faces a $10.6 million budget deficit driven by two forces: a new state school funding formula that redirects money toward rural and high-need districts, and declining enrollment, the Littleton Independent reported.
Superintendent Todd Lambert addressed the funding formula at an Oct. 1 community forum at Euclid Middle School. He said the district supports the shift even though it costs LPS money, and that the MLO is focused on staff compensation, not new programs or equipment, according to the Littleton Independent.
The deficit has already hit employees. The district imposed a furlough day and a wage freeze, meaning staff have not received cost-of-living raises. If voters approve 4A, those budget-saving steps would no longer be needed, the Littleton Independent reported.
Chief Financial Officer Jonathan Levesque said the district wants to keep teacher pay competitive with neighboring systems. LPS is not alone in seeking more money: Jefferson County Public Schools, Douglas County School District and Denver Public Schools all placed MLOs on the ballot. LPS's $25-per-$100,000 rate is lower than Douglas County's $34 and Jefferson County's $42, according to the Littleton Independent.
The Littleton City Council unanimously endorsed 4A at its Oct. 6 meeting, with Councilmember Merrill Stillwell absent, Colorado Community Media reported. Councilmember Robert Reichardt, a former LPS school board member, called enrollment decline a nationwide challenge and said he had voted to close four schools during his time on the board.
"Good teachers are the most important thing, and paying them somewhat appropriately is necessary," Mayor Pro Tem Andrea Peters said at the meeting, according to Colorado Community Media. Peters is a Heritage High School graduate who taught in the district and has children attending LPS.
No organized campaign against 4A has surfaced publicly.
The LPS Board of Education voted in August to place the measure on the ballot. The district hosted community forums throughout September and October and recorded a podcast featuring Lambert and Levesque covering the budget situation and the case for the MLO.
Monday, Oct. 26 was the last day to mail ballots in Colorado, according to CBS Colorado. After that date, voters must drop off ballots at an official drop box or vote in person by 7 p.m. Nov. 3. The Colorado Secretary of State's voter portal at GoVoteColorado.gov lists drop-box locations.
