Denver - Following a marathon bargaining session of over 18 hours, Denver Public Schools (DPS) has announced that a tentative agreement has been reached with the Denver Classroom Teachers Association (DCTA) on a new collective bargaining agreement, marking a significant milestone in their ongoing partnership to support educators and students across the district.
The tentative agreement reflects months of collaborative negotiations and demonstrates a shared commitment to improving working conditions for teachers while enhancing the educational experience for all DPS students.
“We are proud to have reached what we feel is a fair and forward-looking agreement that honors the critical work our teachers do every day,” said Dr. Alex Marrero, Superintendent of Denver Public Schools. “This tentative contract supports our educators, strengthens our schools, and ultimately benefits the students and families we serve.”
The tentative agreement includes:
Three year contract
Year one will be a 7.88% (average) salary increase. This includes the PERA True Up of 2.55% which comes from House Bill 25-1105 that was signed into law by Governor Polis on May 23. This new law corrects a long-standing funding imbalance between the DPS Division and the broader PERA system. HB25-1105 realigns DPS’s employer contribution rate and allows DPS to pass those savings on to DCTA members.
The salary increase also includes a 2.97% average from Steps and Lanes. "Steps" represent annual increases based on a teacher’s experience, while "lanes" represent different levels of educational attainment or training on the teacher salary schedule.
Additionally, there will be a $1,000 cost of living (COLA) increase to the salary schedule and a one-time compensation payment of $1,000.
Year two will be a 4.15% average salary increase including a 2.97% increase from Steps and Lanes and a $1,000 COLA increase to the salary schedule.
Year three will be a 4.15% average salary increase including a 2.97% increase from Steps and Lanes and a $1,000 COLA increase to the salary schedule.
Class Sizes
Beginning in the 2025-2026 school year, the district shall provide reports to the class size committee on the number of classrooms exceeding 30 students, specific efforts undertaken to address oversized classes, and circumstances preventing compliance with the 30 student target.
Beginning in the 2026-27 school year, the district will target to have class sizes of 30 or fewer students in grades K-5 and make reasonable efforts to reduce oversized classes.
“Both sides moved a long way in a short period of time to come to this agreement,” said Executive Director of Labor and Employee Relations Lawrence Garcia. “This was completed through the collaborative effort of teams from both DPS and DCTA along with the work of the arbiter.”
The agreement will now be presented to DCTA members for a ratification vote. Upon successful completion of that process, the contract will go before the Denver Public Schools Board of Education for final ratification.
Denver Public Schools is committed to continuing to build a school district so that all of Denver’s scholars can thrive.
Statement from the Board of Education
“The Board of Education is pleased to hear of the tentative agreement with DCTA. We would like to thank the negotiators for DPS and DCTA for their tireless efforts. This tentative agreement demonstrates our clear commitment to ensuring our teachers are fairly compensated for the incredible work they do for our students.”