Weld Re 8 School District

weld8.org Weld Re-8 School District public school district founded in 1914 in Fort Lupton, Colorado, serving about 2500 students across 7 schools with a 43.5 million dollar budget. The student body is 76 percent minority with over half on free lunch, and academics are weak, math proficiency 16 to 19 percent, reading 22 to 26 percent, far below state averages. The core problem is teacher pay, starting salaries 47500 dollars versus 53000 to 64500 nearby, driving 23 percent yearly turnover. Voters rejected four tax requests since 2023, and on November 3 2026 they vote Issue 5C, a 4.9 million dollar tax hike, or face 1.3 million in mid-year cuts. New superintendent Dr. Justin Ralston launched a 2026 to 2029 plan reviving agriculture and adding IT and cybersecurity tracks. Oil and gas covers over half the local tax base.