Board of Education Unanimously Approves Bond & Mill Levy Resolution

Voters will see the proposed measures on their Nov. 8 ballots in support of programs for DPS schools and students.

On Thursday, June 16, 2016, the Board of Education for Denver Public Schools (DPS) agreed to allow Denver voters to decide on bond and mill funding measures for the school system in November. The proposals, created by a 75-member citizens committee, call for $572 million in bond funding to build and improve schools and $56.6 million in operating dollars to support proven initiatives, such as early literacy, to help Denver students succeed.

The bond proposal would not require a tax rate increase, and the mill levy override would be less than $10 a month in property tax increases for the median Denver home. The median home price in Denver is $329,000.

Board of Education members said their decision is an important part of the process for giving students the tools they need to achieve in the 21st Century.

“I am proud of what this means for kids. I am proud of what this means for Every Child Succeeds,” the district’s vision, said Board Chair Anne Rowe. After the unanimous vote in favor of the proposal, she added, “And now, the opportunity begins for all of us to go out and share with our families and friends and peers in Denver about why this is best for kids.”

Voters will see the bond and mill levy override measures on their Nov. 8 ballots. If approved by voters, all DPS schools will benefit from increased support for classroom programs as well as improved classroom learning environments, such as technology upgrades.

Among the specifics in the proposals:

• Early Literacy: $6.8 million investment would target training to all teachers in grades ECE-3 and bolster interventions for struggling readers, ensuring students are reading on grade level by grade 3. Students who reach this benchmark are four times more likely to graduate than those who don’t.
• College and Career Readiness: $8.1 investment in real-world college and career opportunities, such as DPS CareerConnect opportunities and dual enrollment in college classes. DPS CareerConnect students are 30 percent more likely to graduate than their peers while dual enrollment students are more likely to enroll in college after graduation.
• Classroom Technology: $6.6 million investment to provide digital coaching, digital curricula and device refresh. This investment is in conjunction with a bond proposal to increase the percentage of students in a school with 1 device per student from 22 percent to 63 percent.
• Focused Investments in Secondary Schools: $42.6 million investment allocated to 13 baby-boomer era secondary facilities that have received minimal upgrades in recent decades, including Lincoln, John F. Kennedy, Thomas Jefferson and George Washington high schools.
• New Schools to Meet Growing Demands: $142 million investment for new and expanded campuses in the rapidly growing Northeast and Far Northeast as well as expanding capacity for proven programs across the district.

Read the resolution, and see details of the citizens’ committee proposals in this June 2 board presentation. Visit the district website at bond.dpsk12.org to learn more about the citizens’ committee and its work.