Poudre School District Moves Forward with Aquatics Facility While Threatening School Closures—Without Informing Voters

Lack of Transparency Sparks Questions About PSD’s Priorities as Taxpayers Unknowingly Greenlight Multi-Million-Dollar Project

Poudre School District (PSD) misled voters. While claiming budget shortfalls required school closures and demanding a $49 million tax increase, the district was simultaneously committing millions of dollars to an aquatics facility without telling the public or listing it on the ballot measure ( 20250209-PSD-001, 20250209-PSD-003, 20250209-PSD-004, 20250209-PSD-005).

Even worse, PSD Board President Kristen Draper initially voted to approve the project despite a clear conflict of interest, forcing a revote only after legal counsel intervened (CONFLICT OF INTEREST – Kristen Draper, 20250209-PSD-002).

This deliberate omission from the ballot measure raises questions about whether PSD strategically misled voters to ensure the tax increase passed.

Would Voters Have Approved 4A If They Knew About the Aquatics Facility?

PSD’s 2024 ballot measure (4A) was marketed to voters as a necessary tax increase to support teacher salaries, classroom improvements, and school maintenance (20250209-PSD-001). But key financial information was intentionally left out:

  • PSD had already signed an agreement committing itself to an aquatics facility before the election (20250209-PSD-003).
  • Annual payments of $150,000 for operations & maintenance, plus an additional $45,000 annually for an equipment replacement fund, were hidden from voters (20250209-PSD-003, 20250209-PSD-004).
  • PSD’s financial commitment to the aquatics facility was contingent on securing funding through the November 2024 election—but this fact was omitted from the ballot language (20250209-PSD-003, 20250209-PSD-004).

This means voters unknowingly approved a tax increase while PSD concealed its financial obligations to an expensive recreational project. Would voters have supported the tax if they knew? Unlikely.

PSD Wanted to Shut Down Schools While Quietly Advancing a Multi-Million-Dollar Aquatics Project

While parents and teachers desperately pleaded with the district to keep schools open, PSD worked with the City of Fort Collins and Poudre Libraries for an aquatics facility instead of prioritizing classrooms (20250209-PSD-005, 20250209-PSD-007).

This contradiction points to a clear attempt to manipulate public perception—a pattern of publicly pushing a financial crisis narrative while quietly pursuing pet projects.

The October 22, 2024 Land Sale Vote: A Quiet Approval of the Aquatics Facility—And a Conflict of Interest

On October 22, 2024, the PSD Board of Education passed a Resolution Authorizing the Sale of District Property (20250209-PSD-002, 20250209-PSD-004). This vote paved the way for the aquatics facility—but there was little to no discussion during the meeting and no effort to inform the public of its implications (20250209-PSD-002, 20250209-PSD-004).

Kristen Draper’s Ethical Violation

  • Kristen Draper’s Failure to Recuse Herself Until Legal Counsel Intervened

Draper is an employee of the Poudre River Public Library District, which stands to benefit from the aquatics facility project through an expanded library branch (20250209-PSD-001). Her participation in the vote violated ethical guidelines that prohibit public officials from voting on matters that financially benefit their employer (20250209-PSD-001).

Adding to the controversy, Board President Kristen Draper initially voted in favor of the resolution—despite a direct financial conflict of interest (20250209-PSD-002).

  • Draper is an employee of the Poudre River Public Library District, which is a direct beneficiary of the aquatics facility project (20250209-PSD-002).
  • She cast her vote without recusal, allowing the resolution to pass with her participation (20250209-PSD-002).
  • Immediately after her vote, PSD’s legal counsel intervened, recognizing the conflict of interest and forcing Draper to step back and call for a revote (20250209-PSD-002). Only then did Draper acknowledge the issue, claim her vote was a “mistake,” and request a revote with her recusal (20250209-PSD-002).

Draper’s initial participation was a clear violation of Colorado ethics laws (Colorado Revised Statutes § 24-18-109), which prohibit public officials from taking actions that benefit their employer. As the saying goes, “Where there is smoke, there is fire.“

Was PSD’s Ballot Language Designed to Mislead Voters?

The most damning aspect of this controversy is PSD’s manipulation of the November 2024 election process.

🚨 What PSD Told Voters:
✅ “We need $49 million for teacher salaries, classroom funding, and school maintenance (20250209-PSD-001).”

🚨 What PSD Did Not Tell Voters:
❌ “If the tax measure passes, we are also committing millions to an aquatics facility and library expansion, which will require regular future payments —but we’re not going to put that on the ballot.(20250209-PSD-003).”

This deceptive omission ensured that voters were unaware of how their tax dollars might ultimately be spent. Had PSD included the aquatics facility in the tax measure’s ballot language, public opposition likely would have been much stronger.

What Should Happen Next? Public Accountability & Potential Investigations

PSD’s lack of transparency is alarming. While parents were told that budget cuts were forcing the district to consolidate five schools, the board was quietly approving a land deal for a project not included in voter discussions on district finances (20250209-PSD-001, 20250209-PSD-002, 20250209-PSD-007).

The 1.9.24 Board of Education Meeting Packet reveals that construction of the aquatics facility was explicitly tied to the outcome of the 2024 ballot measure. PSD’s financial obligations included a $3.18 million land contribution, plus ongoing annual payments to the City of Fort Collins (20250209-PSD-003, 20250209-PSD-004).

As we know now, the ballot measure passed.

The implication is that PSD leadership planned a long-term financial commitment to an aquatics facility during the same time school closures were being discussed, PSD leaders also concurrently planned a long-term financial commitment to an aquatics facility (20250209-PSD-007).

This raises a critical question: Why didn’t PSD publicly disclose this major financial obligation in its tax increase campaign?