Former special education teacher Kristina Hilton is making waves as Northridge Elementary's first school counselor, where she works with students in developing resiliency skills and collaborates with families to meet the needs of a diverse student body.

Meet some of the counselors whose work is made possible by the Mill Levy Override. Ann Fitch, the school counselor at Gold Rush Elementary, is helping elementary counseling programs expand district-wide. She has been with DCSD for eleven years and now, as Elementary Lead Counselor, works to inspire and support the new counselors at elementary schools.

Meet some of the counselors whose work is made possible by the Mill Levy Override. From two small rural schools to Franktown Elementary, this North Dakota native is passionate about teaching kindness and empathy to the school's 349 students. Kayla is a newcomer to both Colorado and DCSD, but she's quickly become essential to her community.

Meet some of the counselors whose work is made possible by the Mill Levy Override.. As the school's first counselor, Dr. Alejandra Chavez-Stuart brings extensive education and experience to Iron Horse Elementary. She even uses her French Bulldog, Pierre, as a teaching tool for her students.

Six Douglas County schools received new flooring over the summer thanks to new local funding approved by voters last November. "I've been at Ponderosa for 30 years, and I've never seen the building look better!" exclaimed high school Principal Tim Ottmann.

Seven Douglas County schools received new roofing over the summer thanks to new local funding approved by voters last November. “The old roof leaked, causing us to have buckets all over the halls,” says Iron Horse Elementary Principal Kirsten Bloomfield. “It was also very unsafe for any district workers who needed to be up there.”

More than 300 smiling counselors, psychologists, and social workers all gathered for the first Mental Health Kickoff. Awaiting each attendee was a vibrant, colorful, glittering Calming Jar made by Kendall Meibos, an eighth-grader at Rocky Heights Middle School.

Thanks to those of you who have provided us with input about how best to keep our students safe. I want you to know we are listening to your feedback and will refer to it as we look to build upon our current, comprehensive safety plan. In addition to the research-based security protocols being implemented in our schools, I want to outline several steps DCSD is taking for additional security measures. These security enhancements have already been in the works thanks to additional funding made possible by the passage of a $40 million mill levy override and $250 million bond this past November.

Following the passage of the Mill Levy Override (MLO) and Bond initiatives this past November, I committed to providing the community with regular updates about how that money is being invested into our school district.

The Douglas County School District (DCSD) has sold $249,975,000 in general obligation bonds as approved by voters in the November 2018 election. The proceeds from the bonds provide one-time funds for capital needs such as security upgrades, facility repairs, classroom furnishings, buses and technology.

DCSD Superintendent Dr. Thomas Tucker provides an update on the MLO/Bond.