The Denver Public Colleges Board of Schooling voted unanimously Thursday to place a $975 million bond measure — the biggest in district historical past — on the November poll.
If authorised by voters, greater than half of the cash can be used for upkeep tasks, together with about $240 million towards air con within the remaining 29 faculties that also don’t have cooling.
The seven-member board handed the bond proposal with none debate.
The bond concern will even fund the next:
- $301 million for important upkeep at 154 buildings, together with mechanical, electrical, code and plumbing enhancements and renovation
- $124 million for brand spanking new services, together with constructing a brand new faculty — Gateway E-5 in far northeast Denver
- $127 million to improve 12 center and highschool performing arts hubs in addition to three innovation facilities and 14 athletic services
- $100 million to enhance studying environments at 136 faculties
- $83 million for security and expertise, together with including 17 safe vestibules
DPS has requested voters to approve a brand new bond measure each 4 years since at the least 2012. The latest ask got here in 2020, when Denver voters handed a $32 million mill levy override to extend educator pay and a $795 million bond concern, which was used for air con and different infrastructure tasks.
The $466 million bond concern handed in 2012 went to enhance faculty buildings and expertise and the $572 million bond measure in 2016 went to a brand new elementary and center faculty in northeast Denver and air con in faculties.
The college board additionally mentioned its coverage on faculty consolidation an closures, which members handed in June, throughout the assembly. The coverage opened the door for Superintendent Alex Marrero to as soon as once more suggest faculty closures due to declining enrollment.
Beneath the coverage, Marrero should suggest a timeline for any faculty closures to the board in August after which announce which faculties are beneficial for closure in October, with the members voting on the proposal by November.
Marrero despatched a memo to the varsity board earlier this month and requested for adjustments to the coverage, which he stated was difficult to implement due to how it’s at the moment written.
The superintendent has requested the varsity board to pushback the timeline for a college closure proposal in order that he can current a listing of faculties to the board in November. The rationale for his request is that faculty enrollment knowledge gained’t be accessible till September and October, based on the memo.
The board voted unanimously to approve Marrero’s request to push the timeline to November.
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