Denver Public Schools is considering asking voters in November to approve a $44 million tax increase to benefit the city’s schools at a time when enrollment and funding are uncertain.
How that $44 million would be spent is an open question, district officials said. But the district plans to float several options at a series of community meetings starting this week.
Attendees will be asked to prioritize the options, which include:
- Pay raises for all DPS staff.
- Bigger pay incentives for teachers and other staff to work at high-poverty schools where 60% or more of students qualify for subsidized school meals.
- Bigger pay incentives for teachers and other staff to work in hard-to-fill roles, such as high school math teachers, bilingual teachers, school psychologists.
- Reducing employee health insurance premiums.
- Funding for career and technical education, including classes in aviation mechanics, animation, welding, and more that will be offered at new regional hubs.
- Funding for teacher training and alternative teacher licensure programs that allow aspiring teachers to work for DPS while earning a degree.
If voters say yes, it would increase property taxes by about $77 per year for a Denver home valued at $630,000, the median home price in the city…