Planning for District Growth

The Hamilton School District is in the process of developing long-term financial and facility plans to address two primary challenges: how to secure additional funding and how to address space concerns inside our schools. Ultimately, any plans must reflect the priorities of our community.

Results of our 2022 community survey provided invaluable feedback regarding support for a possible referendum. Here is the letter sent to families and staff regarding 2022 survey results. Based upon initial survey results, we have developed a new plan to address needs. Residents living within the Hamilton School District will receive an updated survey in November 2023. We expect to share results in January 2024.

View our new Community Connects postcards, highlighting recent achievements and detailing growth:

Frequently Asked Questions

Question	Answer
Is the district proposing a referendum?	Currently, no. While 2022 survey respondents expressed overwhelming satisfaction with the Hamilton School District, many were hesitant to support a referendum at that time. Over the past year, we have used that invaluable community feedback to revise plans. Residents will receive a new survey in November 2023. This survey details our updated plans to address ongoing capacity and financial challenges.
How is the community growth impacting district enrollment?	New subdivision growth is expected to continue, increasing enrollment. The Hamilton School District is currently experiencing our highest enrollment ever at 5141 students. See the map below for planned and proposed district subdivision developments. A PDF of the map can be viewed here.

What is the Community Facilities Advisory Committee (CFAC)?

The Community Facilities Advisory Committee (CFAC) is a group of approximately 50 individuals: staff, parents and community members that review subdivision growth, enrollment, space utilization inside schools and physical condition of facilities. Ultimately, the CFAC identifies needs and makes a recommendation to the School Board regarding next steps. October, November and December 2023 meetings are currently planned. A recommendation to the Board is scheduled to be in given in January 2024. In January 2023, CFAC members recommended educating the community on priorities and needs of the District then resurvey community members to determine level of support. Read January 2023 CFAC report here.

What is the operational budget?	Operational costs include all district expenses such as salaries and benefits, transportation, supplies, textbooks, software, equipment, utilities, maintenance, insurances, etc.
Why is the district asking if the community would support an increase in school funding to cover operational costs?	Along with building projects, we are asking for community feedback regarding the potential of increasing funding for the operational budget.  School district funding is restricted by “revenue limits” that are determined by the state. Increasing inflation has created funding challenges for our District. State aid, which was frozen for both the 2021-22 and 2022-23 school years, does not provide enough to overcome the current challenges.
Where can I find more information?	Community members can expect updates to this page.