District overview

Boulder Valley School District Re-2

Funding structure, how it compares to peers, and where major projects stand.

How is Boulder Valley paid for?

Large Front Range district funded by the state per student plus local property taxes and voter-approved bonds, with shrinking enrollment

Boulder Valley School District serves about 27,000 funded students in Boulder, Broomfield and Gilpin counties. Colorado pays districts mainly through a per-pupil formula, and local property taxes cover part of it. The state is phasing in a new formula and averaging years of enrollment, so a falling student count lowers funding. A seven-member board, elected by all district voters to four-year terms, adopts the budget, approves bond-funded construction and decides which schools stay open.

Budget

The 2026-27 budget appropriates about $1.127 billion across all funds, including $386.2 million of General Operating Fund spending.

Fewer students

Funded pupil count falls 539 (2.0%) to about 26,538. The district says school-age population fell 3,675 since 2017 and may fall 1,706 more by 2030.

Closures

In September 2026 the board voted 5-2 to close or merge elementary schools from July 2027, estimated to save $3.5 to $4.0 million a year.

Who decides

Seven directors (Districts A to G); Nicole Rajpal is president. Regular meetings are the second and fourth Tuesdays at 5 pm, plus daytime sessions on third Tuesdays.

The documents describe plans and costs, not whether the closures will improve learning; the board itself notes the impact on communities.

Where the district stands

2026-27 total appropriation, all fundsverified

1,126,928,196 USD

2026-27 General Operating Fund spendingverified

386,231,155 USD

2026-27 funded pupil count (down 539.1, or 2.0%, from 27,077.4)verified

26,538.3 students

Cost of 2026-27 step increases, all employee groupsverified

5,909,834 USD

Estimated yearly savings from school closures (low end)verified

3,500,000 USD

Major projects

Resilient Schools: closing and merging schools

adopted, takes effect July 1, 2027

Birch merges into Kohl, Mesa into Bear Creek, Douglass and Flatirons close, Monarch PK-8 and Eldorado PK-8 are reconfigured, and High Peaks and Community Montessori move buildings. The future use of closed buildings will be decided separately.

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Jan 27, 2026Community engagement plan presented
Apr 13, 2026Regional community sessions begin
Aug 25, 2026Proposal presented
Sep 22, 2026Board adopts Resolution 26-27, 5-2
Dec 18, 2026Choice Enrollment applications due

Funding

Operating savings; $5.0M transition cost budgeted in 2026-27 per staff slides

2022 bond construction projects

under way

The board keeps approving construction contract amendments for bond projects at schools such as Eisenhower, Foothill and Kohl Elementary, with oversight by a Community Bond Oversight Committee.

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Nov 18, 2025Amendments for Aspen Creek, High Peaks, Manhattan, Platt and Southern Hills
Feb 17, 2026Bond oversight committee update
Nov 10, 2026More amendments on the agenda (Eisenhower, Foothill, Kohl)

Funding

2022 voter-approved bond (Building Fund appropriation $131.0 million for 2026-27)

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Resources

Practical guides to school phone policies, district budgets, and administrator hiring.

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Built from the district's BoardDocs agendas, minutes and attachments (Nov 2025 to Nov 2026), including the 2026-27 budget book and the Resilient Schools proposal.

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