SLED Opportunity · COLORADO · DOUGLAS COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT RE-1
AI Summary
Douglas County School District seeks a consultant for strategic planning and community engagement to support a potential 2026 Mill Levy Override ballot initiative aimed at maximizing local funding for education.
Douglas County School District Request for Quote May 2026 Consultation Regarding Potential Ballot Solutions to Maximize Local Funding BACKGROUND & CONTEXT The Douglas County School District (DCSD) is considering a potential Mill Levy Override (MLO) ballot initiative for the Colorado General Election in November 2026. Should the Board of Education vote to place an MLO on the 2026 ballot, and, if it were to be passed by voters, funding would be invested in Teacher and Staff Compensation, Safety and Security, and Student Opportunities including Career and Technical Education, Specialized Student Programming, and Student Programming and Resources in Schools. DCSD successfully passed MLOs in 2018 and 2023; however, these overrides do not increase with inflation, reducing the district’s buying power over time. Unlike neighboring districts, DCSD has not maximized its override capacity as a taxing authority as allowed under Colorado statute. DCSD is seeking to engage a professional consultant with demonstrated experience supporting successful Colorado K-12 MLO and Bond initiatives in communities similar to Douglas County to augment the effort to communicate these challenges to grassroots and thought leaders in the DCSD community. This will ultimately help inform the Board of Education’s decision whether or not to go to the voters in 2026 with an MLO question. SCHEDULE / TIMELINE OF PERFORMANCE The Board of Education seeks to begin work with the selected consultant as soon as June 1, 2026. Analysis and consultative guidance to inform district and Board discussions and decision-making is expected to occur between the date the contract is executed and the time the Board refers a question to the ballot (August 2026). A final timeline for deliverables will be established in the resulting contract. SCOPE OF SERVICES The Douglas County School District’s Board of Education intends to hire a consultant to provide guidance and a written strategic plan outlining steps towards a potential successful Mill Levy Override. The plan will include, at a minimum, strategies for stakeholder engagement, community education, regarding potential local funding options. The services contemplated under this RFQ are limited to pre-decision strategic consulting, community engagement, research, messaging support, and informational planning activities intended to support Board and District decision-making regarding a potential 2026 MLO measure. Nothing in this RFQ or any resulting agreement shall prohibit a consultant or consulting team selected through this process from separately pursuing future campaign-related work should the Board of Education ultimately refer a ballot measure to voters, provided that any such future engagement: is separately funded, complies with all applicable procurement and campaign finance laws, is operationally and financially distinct from District-funded work, and is not conducted using District resources unless otherwise permitted by law. Any future campaign engagement would require separate consideration, approval, and contractual arrangements independent of this RFQ process. The consultant would execute the foregoing scope of work on behalf of DCSD between June 1 and the day the Board of Education votes on finalized ballot language (likely late August 2026). The consultant shall also provide recommendations regarding long-term community engagement infrastructure, stakeholder engagement, and readiness planning should the Board elect to pursue a future ballot measure beyond 2026. The proposed scope amounts to a comprehensive community engagement and research process that includes assistance with messaging and collateral development to help educate voters and unify community support for DCSD. If and when desired, the results can be presented by the consultant and their team at an appropriate time to help inform the Board of Education’s decision-making about going to the voters with a bond question this year. Proposed project tasks and deliverables under general headings include, but are not limited to: Deliver a timeline. By the end of the first 14 days of the contract, the consultant – with input from DCSD staff and Board - will draft a timeline that shows how the Project rolls out over the contract term. Regular reporting. Each week, the consultant will provide DCSD with a summary of the previous week’s activity. DCSD and the consultant may mutually determine that additional reporting is needed to properly advance the project. Lead a team approach that includes Board of Education and staff buy-in. Acknowledging the consultant and team may have limited local context, and that tasks and deliverables are likely to change from time to time due to unplanned for circumstances, the consultant agrees to actively seek staff input on the project through regularly scheduled conference calls, off-line phone conversations, regular weekly formal reporting, and other means. Maximize the efforts of Board of Education members to communicate project messaging to the wider community. The consultant will encourage and support Board members and other willing civic groups and membership organizations to communicate with their constituents on how to frame various messages regarding the need, potential solutions, the costs of those solutions and the consequences if DCSD’s funding needs aren’t met timely. Working with DCSD’s communication and engagement teams, the consultant will circulate an FAQ (updated on a regular basis) to ensure the Board of Education can communicate progress. Reach out to the DCSD community and engage them in a dialogue about DSCD challenges. Support and supplement DCSD communications and engagement staff to ensure the project goals and outcomes are met with respect to internal and external communications. Coordinate with the opinion research consultant to conduct a second poll. Engage and collaborate with the opinion research firm that conducted DCSD’s initial polling efforts to refine and continue its work through a second sample poll. The polling effort should evaluate voter sentiment, economic concerns, taxpayer sensitivity, competing ballot measures, accountability perceptions, durability of support under opposition messaging, and the effectiveness of both supportive and opposing campaign narratives, while also informing messaging refinement and strategic decision-making for the Board and District leadership. Collect qualitative information via grass tops meetings. Conduct up to 40 one-on-one telephone conversations with civic volunteers, Mill Bond Oversight Committee (MBOC) members, community leaders, school principals, PTO leadership and other thought leaders to solicit their input on a variety of issues that advance the project goals and inform the content of the poll survey. Outreach to coalition partners. Assist with outreach to Chambers of Commerce, local governments, service clubs, advocacy groups, citizen boards and commissions, partisan clubs, and other stakeholder groups. Review/evaluate all DCSD MLO/Bond messaging/materials from 2022-2024. Utilizing research mentioned above, work with DCSD leadership and Communications teams to develop additional outreach and communications strategies to educate the community about how schools are funded and DCSD’s need for additional funding. Review current drafts of communications and outreach deliverables/materials and provide feedback to the DCSD Communications team on how to make the materials stronger. Work in conjunction with DCSD leadership and bond counsel to determine best ballot language for 2026, including analysis of messaging clarity, voter comprehension, and potential opposition vulnerabilities. (should the Board vote to place MLO on the ballot in 2026). DELIVERABLES & PERFORMANCE STANDARDS Proposed project tasks and deliverables under general headings include, but are not limited to: Project Management: The consultant will provide a project manager to conduct regular check-ins with the DCSD Board of Education and leadership, forecast upcoming tasks associated with the project, and keep the project on schedule and on budget. Strategic Recommendations: The consultant will review past election results against current economic context and make strategic recommendations regarding an overall project schedule, refined scope of work as needed, and methods and timelines for generating and communicating a funding package with a final guidance and recommendation for a November 2026 measure. Compliance with Colorado Election and Communications Laws: The consultant shall ensure that all work performed under this agreement complies with applicable federal, state, and local laws, including Colorado laws governing the use of public resources for informational and educational communications related to ballot issues. All services provided under this agreement shall be limited to permissible informational, research, engagement, and strategic planning activities and shall not include advocacy or campaign activities prohibited for publicly funded entities. The consultant shall work collaboratively with DCSD leadership and legal counsel, as appropriate, to help ensure compliance throughout the term of the engagement. **Solicitation Type**: RFQ - Request for Quote (Informal) **Source ID**: PU.AG.USA.1323.C19965801 **Piggyback Contract**: No **Question Acceptance Deadline**: 05/26/2026 02:00 AM EDT **Questions are submitted online**: Yes **Bid Submission Type**: Electronic Bid Submission **Solicitation Number**: 017-26 **Reference Number**: 0000425069 **Pricing**: Lump sum **Bid Documents List**: | Item Name | Description | Mandatory | Limited to 1 file | |---|---|---|---| | Bid Documents | Documents defining the proposal | No | No |
SLED stands for State, Local, and Education. These are solicitations issued by state governments, counties, cities, school districts, utilities, and higher education institutions — as opposed to federal agencies.
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