Committee Responsibilities
The 2024 Debt-Free Mill Levy Oversight Committee is charged with becoming familiar with the 2024 Debt-Free Mill Levy program. It is responsible for monitoring the progress of the implementation of this program, including ensuring that expenditures are in alignment with the ballot language approved by voters. This committee is composed of members of the community, parents/guardians of current PSD students, principals, representatives of the employee associations and staff.
The 2024 Debt-Free Mill Levy Oversight Committee is not a decision-making entity and does not make recommendations about specific projects to be funded by this mill levy. Instead, the committee is responsible for reviewing the district’s plans for use of this funding and information provided by the district specific to the cost and completion of these projects.
November 2025 Committee Update
On November 13, 2025, the 2024 Debt Free Mill Levy Oversight Committee met for the second time. The committee is charged with becoming familiar with the 2024 Debt Free Mill Levy program. It is responsible for monitoring the progress of the implementation of this program, including ensuring that expenditures are in alignment with the ballot language approved by voters. This committee is composed of members of the community, families of current PSD students, principals, representatives of the employee associations, and staff.
At its first meeting, the committee was asked to identify a co-chair. The co-chair is responsible for coordinating with district staff on committee meeting agendas and presentations to the Board of Education. Jeff Lindquist was selected via lottery from among those who volunteered to serve as co-chair.
During this meeting, PSD staff shared a summary update with committee members on current spending of the funding collected from the mill levy, including updates on projects completed during the summer of 2025 and projects planned for summer 2026. As a point of reference, prior to the passage of the 2024 Debt Free Mill Levy Override, the district created a summary of benefits that each school would receive if the mill passed, including a list of facilities projects. These projects are already underway.
Additionally, PSD staff shared an overview of the allocations made to support small schools for the 2025-26 school year. To best understand this spreadsheet, please see the following definitions/explanations:
- SBB Locations: SBB (student-based budgeting) schools are those that receive funding based on the number of students enrolled.
- ZBB Locations Overview: ZBB (zero-based budgeting) means zero-based budgeting. This formula is applied to schools wherein the student-based budgeting formula is insufficient to support their operations.
- The “FY26 Preliminary Count” column in this spreadsheet is the student count on which the budget for the school was determined for the current school year.
- “FY26 Size Factor above FY25” column indicates the amount of additional funding on top of the FY25 size factor that was added for FY26. It does not indicate the total dollar amount allocated to each school in the size factor.
- “FY26 4A Size Support” column indicates the amount of additional funding from the Debt Free Mill Levy that was added to ensure these schools could operate at minimum staffing/services levels.
- “FY26 4A SBB AP Support” column indicates the amount of funding provided to schools to pay for assistant principals. Allocating this from the mill budget allows schools to use their SBB funding for licensed and classified staffing instead of using it for APs.
As this update was shared with the committee, there were several questions on a range of topics. These include:
- How does the size factor apply to comprehensive high schools and why is it different for Timnath and Wellington Middle High Schools?
- The comprehensive high schools do not receive size factor funding because they have a sufficient number of students to fund fixed costs with their student-based budgeting budget. TMHS and WMHS receive a size factor based on the size of their middle school cohort only.
- How is the size factor calculated?
- When schools have higher student enrollment, their student-based budget is sufficient to cover the fixed costs that are required to operate the school. For smaller schools, because they have fewer students, their student-based budget is insufficient to cover required fixed costs. With fewer students, it is also more difficult to provide specials programming (i.e. music, art, physical education) and other services. The size factor calculation is designed to help address this shortfall.
- How was the small schools support formula determined and will the formula potentially change in the future? If so, who will be involved in revising the formula? Is there a role for this committee in that work?
- A focus group of staff was convened to develop model staffing plans for schools to identify the enrollment points at which efficiencies in size are lost. These metrics were used to develop the small schools formula. It is possible that this formula will be revisited in the future. The district’s budget committee will likely be involved in this work. Reviewing and revising the small schools formula is outside the scope of the mill levy oversight committee. This committee is specifically dedicated to monitoring how funding from the 2024 Debt Free Mill Levy is being spent and its alignment to the ballot language that was approved by voters. It is not a decision making committee.
- What is the frequency with which air conditioning will be installed in schools? How can the cadence of installation be accelerated as much as possible?
- The district is planning to install air conditioning in schools as quickly as possible within the eight week window that is available every summer for this work to be completed. For smaller buildings, air conditioning installation may be completed in a single summer. For larger buildings, it will take at least two summers to complete installations. To accelerate installation, we are following a design/build process. This process allows design phases and building phases to be staggered so that projects can be executed more efficiently.
- How is the district prioritizing schools for air conditioning installation?
- The district is considering three primary factors prioritizing schools for air conditioning. Those that have no mechanical cooling are being prioritized for installation first. It is also prioritizing schools with larger student populations and schools with higher internal temperature readings inside the structure on high heat days. For more information about the district’s approach to installing air conditioning, please view the air conditioning update presented to the Board of Education on October 21, 2025.
- Why were Beattie and O’Dea chosen for air conditioning installation first?
- The district was scheduled to complete repairs on the rooftop units at each of these schools in the summer of 2025. It was determined that replacement of the rooftop units could be paired with the installation of air conditioning in a cost effective and efficient way. Therefore, the decision was made to install air conditioning at both schools.
- Is PSD required to take the lowest bid for construction projects or is quality of construction also considered?
- No. The district is using a design/build process to select and collaborate with contractors to achieve the best price as well as the best quality for these projects.
Looking forward, the committee will meet again in January 2026 to continue exploring the data that was provided to the group at this meeting. The committee also indicated that it is interested in learning more about the work of the Comprehensive Planning Committee. The committee also requested additional data on expenditures from the mill. These will be shared at the next meeting.
The committee will present an overview of its work to the Board once a year. The next update of the committee to the board is currently scheduled for June 9, 2026.
March 2025 Committee Update
On March 25, 2025, the 2024 Debt-Free Mill Levy Oversight Committee met for the first time. PSD staff shared an update with committee members on current plans for spending funding collected from the mill levy. The information shared with the committee was also presented to the Board of Education in February 2025. View the Mill Levy Spending Update - February 11, 2025 >>
As this update was shared with the committee, several topics for further exploration were identified. These include:
- Exploring the alignment of ballot language around “small, neighborhood schools” to the plans for allocation of small schools funding from this mill levy to PSD schools.
- Exploring the intersection of this committee’s work with the work of the Comprehensive Planning Committee, which will begin meeting in April 2025.
- Monitoring possible future funding cuts at the state and federal level and the ways in which these changes might impact the use of PSD’s general fund and other available funding sources.
Committee members were also asked to volunteer to serve in the co-chair role. The co-chair is responsible for coordinating with district staff on committee meeting agendas and presentations to the Board of Education. A co-chair will be selected via lottery from among those who volunteered. The committee is also working toward scheduling its first update to the Board of Education. It will present an overview of its work to the Board once a year. It is anticipated that this update will appear on the Board of Education agenda on either May 27 or June 10, 2025.
Going forward, the committee will meet twice a year, unless otherwise determined by committee members. The next meeting will be scheduled in the Fall of 2025.
Committee Members
This committee consists of 20 people, serving two-year terms.
Appointed committee members (nine) include:
- Chief of Staff: Lauren Hooten
- Chief Financial Officer: Dave Montoya
- Lead Assistant Superintendent: Traci Gile
- Two representatives from PEA identified by the President of PEA: Nicole Alvarado and Pam Davidson
- Two representatives from ACE identified by the President of ACE: Brad Randall and Judy Kinner
- Two representatives from PASE identified by the President of PASE: Josh Richey and Deborah Meyer
Members selected by lottery (11 members) include:
- Four principals (one elementary, one middle school, one high school, and one alternative or K-12 school) to serve as advisors: Starr Hill (K-12/Alternative); Hayden Camp (Elementary); Carey Christensen (High School). Note: No middle school representative applied.
- Four parent/guardians with students currently enrolled in PSD schools: Tory Pappas, Jeffry Lindquist, Rebecca Everette, Brady Martucci
- Three community members who reside within district boundaries: Darby Remley, Michelle Finchum, Margot Duque
There may not be more than one representative of any given school seated on the committee, either as an appointed or lottery-selected member. If the lottery generates multiple representatives from a single school, the lottery will continue to be run using submitted applications to ensure a diversity of school representatives.
Applications to serve on the committee were posted on the PSD website, social media and distributed via PSD Now in January 2025. Selection of membership will be completed in early 2025 and the committee will begin meeting in spring 2025 as well. The committee will meet, at a minimum, twice a year and more frequently if deemed necessary by members of the committee. The committee will also provide one annual update on their work to the PSD Board of Education during the Board’s public meetings.