Thank you for taking the time to read a bit about our academic and budget work.  This week we are proud to share some good performance news and a bit of context on public finance in Colorado, which is complicated to follow.

Celebrating Mid-Year Growth: Summit Students Show Progress

As we reach the midpoint of the academic year, we are excited to share encouraging data highlighting how our focus on high-quality instruction and clear academic standards is making a positive impact across Summit School District.

Winter Assessment Highlights

Our recent STAR assessment data shows notable improvements in both reading and math across grades 3-12.

Reading Progress (Grades 3-12)

✅ Overall growth: District-wide reading performance increased from 46.4% to 50.5% meeting state benchmarks.

✅ Diverse learner gains:

Hispanic students: 18.5% → 21.5% meeting/exceeding expectations

Multilingual learners: 2.5% → 4.2% meeting/exceeding expectations

Students receiving special education services: 16.3% → 20.4% meeting/exceeding expectations

✅ Gifted learners continue to excel: 96.2% meeting benchmarks
 

Math Progress (Grades 3-12)

✅ Overall growth: District-wide math achievement increased from 33.7% to 38.1% meeting/exceeding expectations.

✅ Notable gains among diverse learners:

Hispanic students: 14.1% → 17.3% meeting/exceeding expectations

✅ Gifted learners: 85.4% meeting benchmarks

What’s Driving Our Progress?

These improvements reflect the dedicated efforts of our teachers and instructional teams, who are focused on:

✔ Setting and maintaining high expectations for all students

✔ Aligning instruction to rigorous academic standards

✔ Providing students with a clear picture of success

✔ Delivering targeted, actionable feedback

✔ Supporting individual student needs within the classroom

While we celebrate this progress, our work isn’t done. Our school leaders are using this mid-year data to refine approaches and ensure every student continues to grow. Sustaining this momentum will be key to long-term success.

Thank you for your partnership in supporting Summit students! Together, we're building a strong foundation for lifelong learning.

 

Public School Finance in Colorado: What It Means for Summit School District

Understanding how schools are funded is key to advocating for resources that support our students. The following is a simplified breakdown.

How Schools Are Funded:

State funding for schools is a combination of Total Program Funding, which  is calculated based on a base amount per pupil multiplied by demographic factors of the individual district, and categorical funding, additional funding for special education, gifted learners, and career and technical education.

Total Program Funding = Enrollment × (Base Per-pupil x Key Adjustment Factors)

 Factors that impact funding:

• District Size (smaller districts receive additional funding)
• At-Risk Students (free lunch, bilingual learners)
• Cost of Living Differences (higher-cost areas receive more funding)
• Budget Stabilization Factor (state-imposed reductions to balance the budget)

Categorical Funding: Additional funding that supports special education, gifted learners, and career/technical education

Additional Local Support

In addition to state funding, school districts may also collect Mill Levy overrides (up to 25% of Total Program Funding) if approved by local voters.

Grants and fundraising are other ways that school districts fund programs.
 

Sources of School Funding

Local Revenue

• Property & ownership taxes 

State Revenue

• State General Fund 
• State Education Fund
   

TOTAL PROGRAM FUNDING = Local Revenue + State Revenue (Adjusted based on Total Program Calculation)

Understanding Mill Levies & Property Taxes

What is a Mill Levy?

The mill levy on property assessed value is the tax rate. A "mill" = 1/1000 of assessed property value. Each mill generates $1 per $1,000 of assessed value

How Property Taxes Are Calculated

 

 

🏠 Assessed Value × 🎯 Mill Levy Rate = 💰 Property Taxes

Colorado’s Education Funding Challenges

🚫 Low Teacher Pay → Bottom 20% nationally

📉 Minimal Investment → 45th in resources spent on education

Below-Average Per-Pupil Spending → Colorado would need $2B+ annually to meet the U.S. average

It’s important to note that Summit School District is the highest-paying rural school district in Colorado. Our commitment to attracting and retaining top educators remains a priority, even within the constraints of the state’s funding formula

 

Why This Matters

Even if property values rise, school funding doesn’t automatically increase because higher local contributions reduce the state’s share due to constitutional spending limits.

Understanding school finance helps us advocate for better funding and stronger resources for Summit students and educators!

Would You Like to Learn More?

For a deeper dive, visit Summit School District’s Financial Transparency Page

Tony Byrd, EdD
Superintendent
Summit School District