Garfield Re-2 · School Bond + Mill Levy Override
Vote YES on 4A + 4B on November 3. Two practical measures supporting students and families in Rifle, Silt, and New Castle.
The choice in front of us
4A helps Garfield Re-2 attract and keep excellent teachers and staff. 4B renews the district’s existing bond tax rate to make long-planned school improvements for Rifle, Silt, and New Castle—without increasing that rate.
Why now?
Garfield Re-2 has made recruiting and retaining excellent teachers and staff a priority—and that investment is helping create academic success. The Colorado Department of Education lists Garfield Re-2 as Accredited, and the Post Independent reported that the district achieved its highest performance rating ever.
Approximately 80% of the General Fund supports the teachers, paraprofessionals, bus drivers, custodians, cooks, and other staff who serve students every day.
The district is not carrying a top-heavy central office. Garfield Re-2 spends approximately 1.1% of its budget on administration, placing it among Colorado’s 30 lowest-spending districts for administration.
But current revenue can no longer sustain competitive staffing at this level. Because most spending is already tied to employees and administrative costs are lean, meaningful future cuts would increasingly mean eliminating positions or falling further behind neighboring districts. That is why Garfield Re-2 is asking voters for additional, locally controlled revenue.
Among Colorado’s 30 lowest-spending districts for administration
The recruitment challenge
Garfield Re-2 begins at $44,731—more than $9,000 below the highest starting salaries in this comparison. Closing that gap helps the district compete for excellent teachers and keep talented educators in our classrooms.
Starting base salary for a teacher with a bachelor’s degree and no credited experience (BA+0).
Beyond staffing
Garfield Re-2 must navigate an uncertain funding environment while preparing its schools for changing student needs, addressing safety concerns, and making room for programs families increasingly need.
A volatile funding source
Approximately 70% of Garfield Re-2 funding comes from the State of Colorado. That funding can be volatile because school-finance formulas and state budget shortfalls are controlled by the legislature in Denver, making long-term local planning more difficult.
Four facility and programming challenges
CTE participation has surged from 342 to 685 students. Garfield Re-2 needs appropriate spaces at Rifle and Coal Ridge high schools to meet that demand and expand STEM, skilled trades, and other career-connected pathways.
Both Rifle High School and Coal Ridge High School have facility and site improvements needed to address life-safety concerns.
Space constraints at Coal Ridge limit programming and require teachers to share classrooms, making it harder to expand courses and serve students effectively.
Families need additional early childhood classrooms along with a greater diversity of programming options for the district’s youngest learners.
Two measures · One shared purpose
Mill Levy Override
Our students deserve consistent, talented teachers and staff. 4A provides locally controlled funding to make compensation more competitive with neighboring districts and the realities of living in our communities.
$4.7 millionannually in locally controlled revenue
Estimated cost of 4A: $38.08 per year for every $100,000 in home value, or $190.40 per year for a $500,000 home.Estimates are based on the August 2026 assessment.
Bond Measure
4B reauthorizes the district’s current bond tax rate so Garfield Re-2 can address priority facilities and learning spaces serving Rifle, Silt, and New Castle.
4B will not increase the current bond tax rate. It continues an existing investment in our three communities.
What 4A would do
4A is not limited to teachers. The mill levy override would provide approximately 6% raises for employees serving schools throughout Rifle, Silt, and New Castle—from the classroom to the cafeteria, transportation, student support, and building operations.
4A improves Re-2’s position—but does not erase the gap. The proposed starting salary remains $6,586 below Roaring Fork’s current starting salary.
Cook
$16.64/hr $17.63/hrCustodian
$16.64/hr $17.63/hrBus Driver
$22.22/hr $23.55/hrSPED Para
$17.41/hr $18.45/hrExamples shown are hourly base-pay comparisons provided by Garfield Re-2.
What 4B delivers
Each investment responds to a real need identified in the schools and neighborhoods of Rifle, Silt, and New Castle.
NO NEW TAXRATE INCREASE01 · Rifle High School
Modernized science, technology, engineering, and math spaces designed for hands-on instruction, collaboration, and the skills students need after graduation.
The project also includes a new access road intended to address traffic circulation and safety concerns at Rifle High School.
02 · Coal Ridge High School
New career and technical education space, a right-sized weight room, and flexible space serving performing arts and wrestling programs.
03 · Silt
A dedicated learning environment for Garfield Re-2’s youngest students, helping families access early education close to home.
04 · Rifle · Silt · New Castle
Approximately 40–50 rental units built at locations throughout the district, primarily as one- and two-bedroom apartments.
The housing is intended to help employees establish themselves locally, with an emphasis on entry-level teachers, single employees, and single-parent educators.
Conceptual renderings are provided for illustration and may change as designs are finalized.
“These measures are a huge value to students, taxpayers, and families in Rifle, Silt, and New Castle.”
— Supporters of Garfield Re-2
Straight answers
The estimated increase would be approximately $38.08 per year for every $100,000 of a home’s market value—about $3.17 per month. A $500,000 home would pay approximately $190.40 more per year.
Colorado taxes a percentage of a home’s market value rather than taxing the full value directly. These estimates are based on the August 2026 assessment; actual impact depends on property classification, assessed value, and applicable state law.
Homeowners age 65 and older may qualify for Colorado’s Senior Property Tax Exemption. Contact the Garfield County Assessor to determine whether you qualify.
Garfield Re-2 already directs approximately 80% of General Fund spending to employee salaries and benefits. Meaningful ongoing raises create an ongoing obligation and therefore require stable, recurring revenue.
Central administrative costs account for approximately 1.1% of district spending, placing Re-2 among the 30 lowest of Colorado’s 178 school districts in that category. 4A would provide dedicated, locally controlled revenue to help compensation better reflect neighboring districts and the local cost of living.
Yes. MLO revenue is locally approved, locally collected, and controlled by Garfield Re-2’s locally elected Board of Education for the purposes identified in the ballot measure. Unlike state funding and federal grants, its level and permitted uses are not determined outside the district.
No. Higher property values or collections do not necessarily produce an equivalent increase in money available to Garfield Re-2. Colorado’s school-finance formula combines local property-tax revenue with state funding; generally, when the local share rises, the state share falls.
Tax bills can also change because of assessment rates, exemptions, valuations, and levies from other local governments. 4A is different because it is additional voter-approved revenue that stays with Garfield Re-2.
4B would fund projects focused on safety, career and technical education, early childhood education, and staff recruitment and retention:
Detailed designs and final scopes would proceed through public planning, procurement, and Board approval if voters approve the Bond.
No. The Bond is structured as a reauthorization of the existing bond tax rate—not an increase. As debt from the bond approved in 2006 is paid off, 4B would use that retiring debt capacity to repay the new bonds. It continues the existing rate.
If 4A is approved, staff raises will be implemented as part of the 2026–2027 budget. If 4B is approved, projects will begin as soon as designs, permits, and contracts are approved—likely within the next 1–2 years.
No. Bond proceeds are restricted to the capital purposes identified in the ballot measure and cannot be transferred to salaries or routine operating expenses. That is why voters are considering two measures: 4A for ongoing staffing needs and 4B for long-term capital investments.
The two measures address different parts of the staffing challenge, and Bond money cannot legally fund ongoing salaries. 4A provides ongoing compensation revenue, while 4B can fund a long-term asset such as staff rental housing.
Housing costs and limited availability can make it difficult for employees to establish themselves in Rifle, Silt, or New Castle. Rental housing complements more competitive compensation with another recruitment and retention tool.
No. The proposal is for rental housing, not free housing. Specific rental rates, eligibility requirements, locations, and operating plans have not been finalized and would require future public planning and Board action.
No. Garfield Re-2 has not purchased a $1.5 million house for the superintendent, and the Bond does not include a superintendent residence. The proposal is for staff rental housing intended to help recruit and retain district employees.
The final size has not been determined. Current planning anticipates a center capable of serving approximately 150 children. Detailed design, programming, and capacity would be finalized through public planning and Board approval.
No. The proposal would maintain preschool programming at district elementary schools. The new center would add early-childhood capacity and programming rather than eliminate school-based preschool options.
Potentially. A dedicated center creates the opportunity to consider extended hours and additional services during school breaks for working families. Specific hours, calendars, and programming have not been finalized.
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