Denver Public Schools will ask voters to approve a nearly $44 million mill levy override in November’s election so the district can gather more money for employee raises and to expand mental health and education programs.
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The Board of Education voted unanimously Thursday to place the override on November’s ballot.
Nearly a dozen supporters of the mill levy — educators, students and community members — spoke at public comment, urging the board to vote for the measure.
Joshua Cardenas, a sophomore at Abraham Lincoln High School, asked the board to support the mill levy, which would provide $4.9 million to expand mental health and special education services.
After Cardenas’ grandpa died, he said he visited a DPS counselor who apologized for his loss and sent him back to class. His grief caused him to struggle in school, he said.
“I wish someone would have reached out to me after that conversation,” Cardenas said. “When students have the support they need, they have a better chance to learn, participate and thrive.”
If approved by voters, DPS will use most of the money from the mill levy override — $25.8 million — to give employees raises. The district also will use $4 million to operate career- and technical-education hubs and an additional $4.9 million to expand mental health and special education services, according to a presentation given to the school board.
The remaining $9.3 million raised via the override would be set aside for charter schools, according to the presentation.
DPS officials have said the mill levy override is needed given the financial pressures that K-12 districts are facing as the state and federal government tighten their budgets.
Amber Wilson, an educator at Thomas Jefferson High School who is headed into her 27th year teaching, told the board she sees hundreds of new teachers every year at an annual district welcome event.
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“DPS can recruit talented educators,” Wilson said. “The problem is retaining them. … We have a shortage of the conditions that make them stay.”
The mill levy would not solve all problems within the district, but Wilson said it could address some of the biggest pressures — crowded classes, low salaries, lack of resources — driving teachers away.
“Give those educators a reason to stay,” Wilson said.
The override would provide a recommended $1,750 base salary increase for all employees.
The override, if approved, would allow DPS to collect more money from residents’ property taxes for ongoing expenses. The measure Denver residents will vote on in November will increase the average homeowners’ costs by about $5.91 a month, or $71 annually, according to the district.
DPS is one of several K-12 systems in the metro area that plan to ask voters to raise money for their schools as budgets tighten. Other districts that have approved or are considering similar measures include Jeffco Public Schools and the Douglas County School District.
Denver voters have approved a mill levy override seven times over the years, according to the district.
Most recently, Denver voters approved a $32 million mill levy override for DPS six years ago, money the district used to increase employee salaries and fund mental health, nursing and special education services.
Voters also approved a nearly $1 billion bond measure for the district two years ago, which DPS used to incur debt to upgrade buildings and build a new school.
“We cannot ask our schools to do more with less,” said DPS board vice president Monica Hunter during the meeting.
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