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McElwain Elementary School (5706)

1020 DAWSON DRIVE
THORNTON, CO 80229

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Historical Data

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371

Total Students Served

Narrative

A message from:

Mimi Livermore

Finance Director

Adams 12 Five Star Schools

June 1, 2022

Who we are. Adams 12 Five Star Schools is accredited as a Performance District in Colorado, serving students in preschool through 12th grade. We’re a caring, inclusive and engaging district which exists so the students it serves can attain the knowledge and skills necessary to pursue the future of their choosing and are equipped to navigate and thrive in our rapidly changing world. Our mission is to engage and inspire all students ... Who we are. Adams 12 Five Star Schools is accredited as a Performance District in Colorado, serving students in preschool through 12th grade. We’re a caring, inclusive and engaging district which exists so the students it serves can attain the knowledge and skills necessary to pursue the future of their choosing and are equipped to navigate and thrive in our rapidly changing world. Our mission is to engage and inspire all students to innovate, achieve and succeed in a safe environment by ensuring high quality instruction in every classroom, every day. Located just seven miles north of downtown Denver, Adams 12 Five Star Schools is the sixth largest district in the state offering more than 36,000 students and their families the benefits of a large community with a close-knit feel. That's reflected in the numerous opportunities for students, staff and parents at any of the district's more than 50 unique learning centers. The five stars represent the five cities where our schools are located: Broomfield, Federal Heights, Northglenn, Thornton and Westminster. How we’re funded. State and local tax revenue make up most of our general fund with a little from federal and other sources. More than 78 percent of the district’s general fund dollars are determined by the state Legislature through the School Finance Act. Unfortunately, state funding for K-12 education has declined sharply in the years following the Great Recession of the late 2000s. Starting with the 2009-2010 school year those allocations have fallen short of the amount needed to keep up with inflation and statewide enrollment. In 2009, the Legislature decided only certain parts of the School Finance Act needed to grow with inflation, therefore implemented the Budget Stabilization Factor. The Budget Stabilization Factor has had a substantial impact on all of Colorado’s school districts. In the Five Star District it’s resulted in more than $448 million in decreased funding 2010-2011 through 2020-2021. The School Finance Act for the 2020-2021 school year has the Budget Stabilization Factor at 12.8 percent. This amounts to $49 million less in funding for the 2020-2021 school year. One way to overcome limited funding from the state is for local voters to pass a mill levy override which generates additional property tax revenue for their local school district. Districts that have passed an override, in or after 2010, have used the dollars to help ease the pain of cuts at the state level. Voters in the Five Star District passed an override in 2018. Previous to that, the last override passed was in 2008. Learn more. While this website provides a snapshot of our budget and finances, we welcome any questions you may have about how we fund student success in the Five Star District. Visit Funding 101 on our website to learn more.

Spending

$15,083
Current Spending per Student

View Per Student Spending Calculation

$12,383

State Average

School Level Spending per Student

Federal

$1,202
State/Local

$10,393
Total

$11,595

School Share of Central Spending per Student

Federal

$520
State/Local

$2,968
Total

$3,488

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Current School Spending

Learning Environment

91%
Operations

9%

Learning Environment
$3,899,692

View Learning Environment Breakdown

Operations
$402,201

View Operations Breakdown

$4,301,894

Total

Long-Term Spending

Construction, Debt, Refinancing & Other

View Construction Funds Breakdown

These expenditures are those not associated with day-to-day operation of school activities and, therefore, are not included in the per-student spending calculation. They are comprised of major construction projects, debt payments, acquisition of land, and other programs.

$663,157

Total

Total School-Allocated Spending

$4,965,050

Totals may not sum due to rounding

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Current School Share of Central Spending

Learning Environment

42%
Operations

58%

Learning
Environment
$549,027

Operations
$745,078

$1,294,105

Total

$6,259,155

Grand Total of Spending at this school