4A & 4B - 2026 Ballot Questions

A group of elementary students gathered around a female teacher with brown hair.

Garfield Re-2 is in the middle of a long-range planning conversation about our schools — our buildings, our programs, and the people who work in them.

Garfield Re-2 Bond + Mill Levy Override 2026

Garfield Re-2 serves approximately 4700 students across Rifle, Silt, and New Castle. Like many districts, we are working through a set of long-term challenges that will not resolve on their own.

Staffing and turnover
Garfield Re-2 is losing staff to neighboring districts that pay more. Turnover has been highest among support staff, and special education paraprofessionals have been our largest turnover category. Housing costs across Garfield County make it harder for employees to live in our community.

Buildings and learning spaces
Several of our spaces were built for a different era of teaching and learning. We have an identified need for improving our science classrooms, career and technical education (trades), shops and labs, and early childhood spaces to better prepare our students for their futures.

How Colorado funds schools
Colorado school districts have limited financial tools, and they are not interchangeable. Day-to-day operating costs, including employee salaries, come from a different source than buildings and major construction. Under current state funding, Garfield Re-2 can support approximately 2% annual salary increases, which do not keep pace with the cost of living or inflation. Major capital projects are generally funded only through voter-approved bonds.

We Have Been Listening

Planning for Garfield Re-2's long-term needs has been underway for approximately two years. That work has included facility assessments, financial analysis, staff input, community committee work, and a community poll to hear directly from our residents.

A community advisory committee has been meeting since January with representatives from town councils, parents, district staff, housing advocates, healthcare professionals, and business and community members from Rifle, Silt, and New Castle. This group has worked alongside district leaders to discuss priorities for improving the learning spaces and programs in Garfield Re-2 schools while also expanding career-connected learning and toddler/preschool care and education.

What We Heard
Community members shared a range of priorities and concerns. The most consistent themes from community input included:

Concerns about property taxes - many residents described feeling stretched by recent increases and want assurance that any request is fiscally responsible
Interest in career-connected learning and skilled trades education for students
Concerns about finding and keeping quality teachers, bus drivers, and other school staff
Interest in early childhood programs and access to preschool and toddler education

The district is taking these concerns seriously. Addressing fiscal credibility and tax transparency is a priority of the school board.

What did the Board Approve

Questions 4A & 4B on the November 3 Ballot - What They Fund, What They Cost

On November 3, 2026, Garfield Re-2 voters will decide two separate ballot questions. A mill levy override request would maintain class sizes and provide competitive pay for all Re-2 staff to help attract and retain staff. A bond issue would fund school facilities projects and is structured so that it would not add a new tax. Each question is voted on separately; you may approve one, both, or neither.

The Two Ballot Questions

The two ballot measures fund different things and are governed by different state laws. They appear as two separate questions because they are two separate decisions.

4A - Mill Levy Override

Seeking $4.7 million per year to provide ongoing funding to maintain class sizes and provide competitive pay for all Re-2 teachers and staff.

Why? Garfield Re-2 is losing staff to neighboring districts that pay more. Turnover is highest among support staff and special education paraprofessionals. Housing costs in Garfield County make it challenging for employees to live and work in the community.

Tax Impact: $38 per year for every $100,000 of property value

4B - Bond Issue

Seeking approval to borrow $118 million to build and improve learning spaces and programs district-wide that prepare all students for their futures.

Why: Facility assessments have identified a need for improved classrooms, skilled trades and career-connected learning spaces, and increased early childhood education and care. If approved, the bond would fund six major projects in Rifle, Silt and New Castle including:

Rifle High School Safety & Access
Rifle High School Renovations
Early Learning Center
Coal Ridge High School Addition & Renovation
Affordable Rental Housing
Technology Improvements

Tax Impact: The bond does not add new taxes. It is structured within the district's existing authorized levy capacity.

Frequently Asked Questions

Answers to questions that have been asked about the Garfield Re-2 Bond and Mill Levy Override.

What is the cost a Homeowner if Approved

If both measures are approved, it would increase school taxes by approximately $38.08 per year for every $100,000 of property value — about $3.17 per month. A $500,000 home would pay about $190 per year. Colorado taxes a percentage of your home's market value, not the full value.

Home's actual value	Estimated annual cost	Estimated monthly cost
$100,000	$38	$3.17
$300,000	$114	$9.50
$500,000	$190	$15.83
$750,000	$285	$23.75

These are estimates based on preliminary assesed valuations. A property's actual tax impact depends on its classification, assessed value and applicable state law.

Note: Residents ages 65+ may qualify for Colorado’s Senior Property Tax Homestead Exemption, which exempts a portion of your home’s value and your cost could be lower than shown. Contact the Assessor to find out whether you qualify. garfieldcountyco.gov/assessor

Why can't the district provide those raises from its existing budget?

Employee salaries and benefits already make up approximately 80% of the district's budget. Ongoing salary increases create an ongoing financial obligation, so the district needs a stable, recurring source of revenue to sustain them.

The district has continued to reduce non-salary expenses and prioritize classroom spending. It also reported during the Aug. 26 meeting that central administrative costs represent approximately 1.1% of district spending, placing Garfield Re-2 among the 30 lowest of Colorado's 178 school districts in that category.

Would the MLO revenue stay local?

My property taxes just went up. Didn't the school get all of that money?

What projects are included in the bond measure?

The bond proposal identifies projects intended to support safety, learning opportunities, early childhood education and staff recruitment and retention. They include:

A new access road and improved traffic flow at Rifle High School to ease congestion and improve safety.
Rifle High School renovations, including improvements to science, STEM and other learning spaces.
Improvements at Coal Ridge High School, including additional space for career pathway programming and a weight room.
An early learning center for early childhood care and education.
Staff rental housing to help recruit and retain employees.

Project designs and detailed scopes would be developed through the public planning, procurement and Board approval process if voters approve the measure.

Would the bond raise the district's bond tax rate?

Can bond money be used for salaries?

Why include staff housing instead of using that money for higher salaries?

The two proposals address different parts of the staffing challenge. The MLO would support salaries and wages. The bond can fund a long-term capital asset such as rental housing, and it cannot legally fund ongoing salaries.

District leaders have said that a compensation increase alone would not fully address the cost and limited availability of housing in the region. Staff rental housing is intended as an additional recruitment and retention tool, particularly for employees beginning their careers or establishing themselves in the community.

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