Denver school board to put nearly $1B bond measure on November ballot

The Denver Public Schools Board of Education voted unanimously Thursday to put a $975 million bond measure — the largest in district history — on the November ballot.

If approved by voters, more than half of the money will be used for maintenance projects, including about $240 million toward air conditioning in the remaining 29 schools that still don’t have cooling.

The seven-member board passed the bond proposal without any debate.

The bond issue will also fund the following:

• $301 million for critical maintenance at 154 buildings, including mechanical, electrical, code and plumbing enhancements and renovation
• $124 million for new facilities, including building a new school — Gateway E-5 in far northeast Denver
• $127 million to upgrade 12 middle and high school performing arts hubs as well as three innovation centers and 14 athletic facilities
• $100 million to improve learning environments at 136 schools
• $83 million for safety and technology, including adding 17 secure vestibules

DPS has asked voters to approve a new bond measure every four years since at least 2012. The most recent ask came in 2020, when Denver voters passed a $32 million mill levy override to increase educator pay and a $795 million bond issue, which was used for air conditioning and other infrastructure projects.

The $466 million bond issue passed in 2012 went to improve school buildings and technology and the $572 million bond measure in 2016 went to a new elementary and middle school in northeast Denver and air conditioning in schools.