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District overview

South Routt School District RE-3

Funding structure, how it compares to peers, and where major projects stand.

Editorial graphic for South Routt School District RE-3
Editorial caption by Our School Board; base: Ludwig Sebastian Micheler · by-sa

Who runs South Routt schools, and how are they paid for?

A small formula-funded district with a seven-member elected board and falling enrollment

South Routt School District RE-3 serves the Oak Creek area of Routt County, Colorado, with about 283 students expected in 2026-27. Colorado pays districts mostly through a per-student formula plus local property tax, so fewer students means less money. A seven-member elected board adopts the budget, sets policy and hires the superintendent, Dr. Kirk Henwood.

Enrollment

The 2026-27 budget counts 283 students, down from 305 this year.

Money

Total program funding is about $5.18 million, from property taxes (21.283 mills), ownership taxes and state aid.

Reserves

The general fund holds about $7.3 million, but planned spending is above revenue by about $250,000.

Who decides

Kristi Schalnus (president), Jamie Hoff, Jeff Clyncke, Suzanne Hamill, Sunny Harmon, Nikki Knoebel and Jason Strahl. Regular meetings are usually on a Tuesday at 5:30 p.m.

Small districts often run with large reserves, and the shortfall is modest. The records do not show whether it is expected to continue.

Where the district stands

Expected enrollment, 2026-27 (2025-26: 305)verified
283 students
Total program funding, 2026-27verified
5,178,908 USD
Total expenditures per pupil, 2026-27 (2025-26 estimate: $29,870)verified
33,100 USD
Proposed state BEST grant for the Soroco additionverified
22,704,162.83 USD
District match required for the BEST grantverified
32,801,968 USD

Major projects

Soroco high school and middle school addition and renovation

State grant conditionally awarded; district match not yet shown in records

The state school-construction program would pay about $22.7 million toward an addition and renovation at the Soroco campus. The district's share is about $32.8 million.

Next: [object Object]
  1. Conditional award letter presented to the board
  2. Board hears a BEST grant update
  3. Grant expiration date in the award letter

Funding

State BEST grant plus district match

Recent news

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Resources

Practical guides to school phone policies, district budgets, and administrator hiring.

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Built from board agendas, minutes and attachments on the district's public Diligent Community portal and Google Drive minutes folders, Nov 2025 to Oct 2026.

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