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“In summer, the song sings itself.” – William Carlos Williams
As the summer comes to a close, we invite you to take a look back and reflect on the bond construction that took place over the last few months.
Summer is the busiest time of year for our school improvement projects, and a lot has happened! Let's review...
Keep Scrolling for the Bond Updates We LOVE to See!
Montbello Community Celebrates Warrior Pride with Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for Brand New $130 Million Bond-funded High School
The Montbello community has a new “crown jewel” on Crown Boulevard. The new Montbello High School, part of the Reimagine Montbello project, is complete! We celebrated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, featuring a passionate drumline, cheerleading squad performances, heartfelt speeches and tours of the brand new digs.
Thank you Denver voters for your support of the 2020 bond, which allowed this dream to become a reality. Congratulations and welcome home, Warriors!
RASA Celebrates Brand New STEAM-focused Bond-funded School in Far Northeast with a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for New Students, Staff and Families
In August, Responsive Arts & STEAM Academy Far Northeast (RASA) celebrated the opening of their brand new school with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, featuring Rocky Mountain Indigenous Dancers and a performance of “What a Wonderful World” from renowned harpist, Calvin Arsenio, who flew in for the special occasion.
RASA will provide world-class Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) education for students in Denver’s rapidly growing Far Northeast region.
Thank you Denver voters for supporting the 2020 bond, which included this investment in students' futures.
Air Conditioning Installation Complete at 8 DPS Schools
The 2020 bond provided funding for 24 schools to receive air conditioning upgrades. Sixteen of the 24 schools had construction installed over the past few years, and this summer the final 8 schools had their installations complete!
Construction work on the final eight schools happened this summer and included:
Polaris Elementary
Mary G. Carson Elementary
Cowell Elementary
Thomas Jefferson High School
Stedman Elementary School
Steele Elementary School
Denver Green School
For more information visit 2020 Bond Projects & Programs: Air Conditioning and Heat Mitigation.
The 2020 Bond Bus Tour Took it's Last Drive
The final bus tour of the 2020 bond took place this summer! District leadership and community stakeholders toured four sites where bond package upgrades, provided by the 2020 bond, have completed their construction.
The bus tours were an opportunity to see how our promises made are promises kept by touring the locations where bond dollars are at work! Thank you, Denver voters, for your support and investment in public education!
Denver Public Schools Board of Education Unanimously Approves $975 Million Bond Package
On Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024, the Denver Public School’s Board of Education unanimously approved a $975 million dollar bond package for the state’s largest school district.
This significant investment in the future of DPS was formulated by the Community Planning and Advisory Committee (CPAC), a group of 72 members, led by six co-chairs, who dedicated six months as volunteers to help prioritize the needs of our schools.
The bond package, which will be presented to Denver voters on Nov. 5, 2024, aims to address crucial areas such as safety and security, innovation, teachers, and major maintenance projects.
If approved by Denver voters, this one-time investment in capital projects will be funded by existing property tax dollars and will support air conditioning, critical maintenance, accessibility, safety, technology, and quality learning environment upgrades in DPS schools.
The DPS 2024 bond proposal will require an increase in the district’s bond debt but will not increase property taxes.
The financial breakdown of the 2024 bond package is as follows:
Critical maintenance: $301 million
Air conditioning: $240 million
Arts, athletics, and innovation: $127 million
New facilities: $124 million
Learning environments: $100 million
Safety and technology: $83 million
"As President of the Denver Board of Education and a former DPS teacher of 33 years, it is my honor to approve the 2024 bond package proposal that was created by the volunteer-led Community Planning and Advisory Committee,” said Board of Education President Dr. Carrie A. Olson. “The Board is confident that this bond package will positively impact the lives of our DPS students, and will help to ensure that a world-class education is available for every student, right here, in our beloved city of Denver."
Search For 2024 Bond Initiatives Using Our Interactive Map
Did you know that you can now search for 2024 bond initiatives using an interactive map on our bond website? It's true!
Search for 2024 bond initiatives using our 2024 Bond Allocation Dashboard.
This interactive map allows you to search for initiatives by school, project category or region. Simply use the filter report located in the upper righthand corner to begin your search.
Bond in the Media
AC/TJ HS: 9 News |
DSA gender neutral bathroom: 9 News
Montbello ribbon-cutting: CBS4 |
AC/2024 Bond Proposal: 9 News
AC/Polaris: Denver 7 |
Bond Approved by BOE: Axios
Bond Approved by BOE: Chalkbeat |
Bond Approved by BOE: Denverite
What is a Bond?
A bond is funding drawn from existing property taxes to support public projects and services. Denver Public Schools (DPS) is one of the public entities that has the ability to ask voters for funding through property tax increases.
A portion of Denver residents’ property taxes go into a state fund that supports education in Denver and across the state. Another portion of property taxes are for bonds and mill levy overrides that fund only projects and services in Denver.
DPS will present a 2024 bond package proposal to Denver voters in November 2024. DPS will not be asking voters to approve a mill levy override in 2024.
If approved by Denver voters, the bond proposal will require an increase in the district’s bond debt but will not increase property taxes.
What is the Difference Between a Bond and a Mill Levy?
Bonds are one-time investments in capital projects such building classrooms, buying technology and security equipment.
Bond funds help renovate older schools to update them for 21st-century learning, build brand-new school buildings and buy additional educational technology.
A mill levy funds ongoing operational needs such as teachers, software, enrichments and social-emotional supports.
Whereas a bond funds:
The building of schools, athletic facilities and classrooms.
A bond provides funding for critical maintenance needs which include air conditioning installations, mechanical and plumbing repairs.
A bond funds technology upgrades which include installation of state-of-the art safety features for schools, assistive technology equipment for students with disabilities and electronics for student learning.
Denver Public Schools will not be asking voters to approve a Mill Levy Override in 2024.
Everyone Has a Voice at DPS
The details surrounding bond and mill levy can often be confusing, and we hope to rectify that -- in part -- with the development and distribution of this newsletter. Transparency is our goal and we are working hard to make sure the Denver community knows that the promises we made are promises we have kept.
All of our stakeholders have an important role in advocating for the improvements we make in our school district and the lives we are able to change in doing so. We hope this newsletter will illuminate that and will be both a call to action and a word of encouragement.
Thank you,
Giorgia Alexander
Bond and Mill Levy Communications Specialist for DPS
Questions or comments? Email us at bond@dpsk12.org