Jeffco board adopts 2026-27 budget, reserve draw and teacher deal in split votes

Jeffco Public Schools’ board on June 11 approved the district’s 2026-27 budget, a separate reserve-use resolution and a tentative agreement with the teachers union, with Director Denine Echevarria casting the lone no vote on each item.

The adopted budget keeps Jeffco on a deficit-spending path for another year. In a separate fund-balance resolution, the district authorized use of $13,107,842 from the General Fund for “compensation increases for 2026-27 and from prior years,” part of a broader $48.3 million authorization across several funds, including capital reserve and property management.

The district appropriated about $1.058 billion from the General Fund, including $990.5 million in spending and transfers and $67.3 million in reserves. Across all funds, the budget appropriates about $1.408 billion.

Board action on June 11 also formalized the approach district leaders had previewed in earlier budget discussions: use reserves now to avoid deeper immediate cuts while counting on either new voter-approved revenue or another round of reductions later. The same resolution says any voter-approved general-purpose mill levy override revenue would first be used to offset the budgeted General Fund draw. If voters do not approve that revenue, the resolution says Jeffco would work with staff and stakeholders on reductions that could include changes to staff workday calendars, district-funded benefits, staffing levels, school consolidations, programming and contracted costs.

That disagreement drove the split votes. During the June 11 board meeting, Echevarria said she could not support “another deficit budget,” arguing Jeffco was “choosing to spend money that we do not yet have” and exposing schools to more disruption if a November tax measure fails. She said the district had already reduced about $40 million in spending but that she was “not yet convinced” every possible reduction option had been exhausted.

Other board members said they were uneasy with another reserve-backed budget but saw it as the least disruptive option for the coming school year. Board President Paula Applegate said in the same meeting that she was comfortable with one more year of deficit spending because the district would “still have about a hundred million left in our reserves,” while adding she was not willing to go below that level. Director Erin Kenworthy said in the debate that the budget was “not sustainable” long term but reflected what students and staff need for 2026-27 after the district had already worked to cut about $40 million.

The labor vote approved compensation terms for licensed educators. According to the board’s June 11 agenda materials, the Jeffco-JCEA tentative agreement provides step-and-lane movement for eligible educators; a one-time 1.25% increase for educators who had reached step 22 by or during 2025-26; a 0.5% ongoing increase for educators who move into lane 6 by the end of 2025-26; a 2.5% increase for educators who move into lane 6 during 2026-27; and the third year of a salary schedule restructuring for coaches and activity sponsors.

The agenda materials also say the bargaining teams agreed to contract-language changes in Articles 3, 5, 9, 10 through 12, 13, 17, 18, a new Article 26 on post-incident response and Appendix B.

The Jefferson County Education Association said in a public summary that the district and union also agreed to reopen salary and compensation negotiations within 30 work days after election results are certified if voters approve a ballot measure that adds General Fund revenue.

The board also approved a package of operational spending items on its June 11 consent agenda, including contract actions tied to natural gas purchasing, district devices, literacy software, athletic trainer services, sports officials and athletic gear.

For families and employees, the immediate effect is that Jeffco has formally adopted the reserve-backed budget framework district leaders previewed earlier this month while preserving day-to-day spending and educator compensation for the coming year. The larger unresolved question is whether voters approve new tax revenue in November or the district moves into another round of cuts.