Voters to decide future of four Aspen School District funding questions

Local constituents will decide the fate of four ballot issues pertaining to Aspen School District funding in the Nov. 4 election.

The school district seeks additional funds after the state passed the New Public School Finance Formula, which shifts funds away from school districts with high property value. The Aspen School District expects to lose $5 million in annual funds beginning in 2031. ASD also lost $23.8 million in funding between 2009 and 2024 after Colorado passed the budget stabilization factor, which reduced the state’s spending on public schools in the wake of the Great Recession.

Aspen School District No. 1 Ballot Issue 4A: General Fund Mill Levy Override

The Aspen School District will ask voters who live within school district boundaries whether to levy up to an additional $5 million per year from district property owners, accounting for the anticipated $5 million annual loss of state funding as a result of the new finance formula. This would raise homeowner’s annual property taxes by $62 for those who own a residence with an estimated actual value of $1 million. 

To levy the additional funds, the district would pass a mill levy override increase, allowing them to levy 47% beyond the per-pupil cap set by the state. The district currently levies 25% beyond the cap. 

According to a Pitkin County coordinated election TABOR notice, which gives description of the ballot issues and provides voter input on potential tax increases, proponents of this issue say passing it will “make up for a lost state funding, providing our teachers with competitive salaries, maintaining small class sizes, and supporting unique curriculum, including ASD’s coveted International Baccalaureate (IB) and outdoor education programs.”

Opponents did not file statements regarding the ballot issue by the constitutional deadline.

Aspen School District No.1 Ballot Issue 4B: General Obligation Bonds

The Aspen School District is asking its constituents to approve a $95 million bond to use for “acquiring and constructing employee housing to attract and retain quality teachers and staff,” according to the TABOR notice. 

The bond would also be used for maintenance and repairs, to improve athletic facilities, to renovate the bus storage facility, upgrade the theatre (including upgrading theatre restrooms and making it more accessible), and to improve “instructional and career and technical education spaces.”

The bond would be paid over 25 years and would cost district taxpayers who own a home with an actual value of $1 million an estimated $65 annually. 

According to the TABOR notice, proponents of the measure said the question would primarily be put towards the purchase of approximately 55 employee housing units. 

“Because housing costs in Pitkin County are so far out of reach for those living on a district salary, these housing units help the district attract and retain world-class teachers and staff,” proponents in the notice state.

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The argument in favor of the ballot issue also considers that infrastructural and classroom improvements will “support the district’s innovative curriculum.”

Opponents did not file statements regarding the ballot issue by the constitutional deadline.

City of Aspen Ballot Question 2A: Tax increase for public education

The city of Aspen will ask voters in city limits whether to approve a sales tax increase to support the Aspen School District. The tax would increase the “Aspen Public Education Fund” sales tax from 0.3% to 0.6% — an increase of a 30-cent tax on a $100 purchase to a 60-cent tax on a $100 purchase. 

The city expects the tax increase to generate approximately $4.75 million in 2026, increasing the city’s aggregate educational contribution to approximately $9.5 million. The tax would expire at the end of 2031.

According to the TABOR notice, proponents of the issue asked voters to support the tax to “keep teachers rooted in our community, maintain core curriculum, and make classroom improvements.” It also notes that this is a temporary tax, not a “forever” tax. 

Opponents did not file statements regarding the ballot issue by the constitutional deadline.

Town of Snowmass Village Ballot Issue 2D: Increase Property Tax for Educational Purposes

The town of Snowmass Village will ask Snowmass residents whether to increase its existing Snowmass Village Public Education Fund property tax from $500,000 to $1 million to support the Aspen School District. 

The ballot measure asks residents if the town can increase “up to” $1.2 million annually to account for property value fluctuations. The tax is an ad valorem property tax, based on a set portion of a property’s assessed value, meaning the tax amount changes if a property’s value changes. Though the town plans to levy approximately $1 million, it set a buffer of $1.2 million to account for rising property values. 

The tax would begin in collection year 2026 and continue through collection years 2031.

Snowmass property owners who own a residence worth $1 million in actual value can expect their property taxes for the Snowmass Village Public Education Fund to rise from $37 to $74 annually if the ballot issue passes.

According to the TABOR notice, proponents of issue 2D say the tax would mostly “help provide Aspen School District educators with competitive salaries,” and note that the tax would be temporary. 

Opponents did not file statements regarding the ballot issue by the constitutional deadline.

Expectations for taxpayers should all ASD funding issues pass

Aspen and Pitkin County residents who own a home worth $1 million in actual value can expect their property taxes to rise by $127 annually should all issues pass. Snowmass residents who own a home worth $1 million can expect their property taxes to rise $164 annually should all issues pass.

Skyler Stark-Ragsdale can be reached at 970-429-9152 or email him at sstark-ragsdale@aspentimes.com.