We are Denver parents, teachers, school and community leaders from neighborhoods across the city. This spring, we came together as volunteers because our experience showed us how hard our schools work everyday to meet growing needs with shrinking resources. We spent months considering whether Denver Public Schools needed additional operating funds, and if so, how to allocate any new funding.

We met with our neighbors at public meetings across the city as well as informal conversations in the school dropoff line. We all brought our personal experiences, but more importantly, listened to the many families, staff and students who told us their priorities directly. This November's ballot measure 4A in Denver is the result: a proposal developed by the community, for the community's kids, then recommended unanimously by this committee.

Ballot measure 4A invests in the people who keep our schools running by raising base pay by $1,750 for every DPS teacher, paraprofessional, bus driver, nurse, food service worker, and custodian who shows up for our kids every single day. As the cost of living in Denver continues to rise, competitive pay helps keep these amazing staff in our schools. 

4A also strengthens support for the hardest jobs to fill in education right now: school counselors, mental health professionals, and special education staff. Colorado declared youth mental health a public health emergency, and this measure would allocate more resources to meet students where they are to ensure that they thrive. And 4A funds something Denver already told us it wanted: the Career and Technical Education Innovation Hubs approved in the 2024 bond with 75% voter support. These hubs give students a real path to realizing their dreams in skilled trades, healthcare, technology and more.

We were careful about cost, because we know families are careful about theirs. This measure would cost about $11.50 a year for every $100,000 of home value — roughly $72 a year for Denver’s median home. We weighed that cost carefully against what we heard from families, students and educators about what our schools need most: retaining experienced staff, expanding mental health support, and strengthening services for students. 

Denver's kids cannot wait for the perfect moment. They need great counselors, teachers, and other trusted adults this year and every year. DPS educators and staff deserve competitive compensation, and these additional funds are an investment that will ensure stability for our students. 4A is Denver's chance to say we noticed, we listened, and we're showing up for our kids the same way their teachers, bus drivers, and counselors show up for them every day.

Please join us in voting yes on 4A this November. Our kids told us what they need — now it's our turn to answer.

The members of the DPS Mill Levy Override Advisory Committee

Tomi Amos, Charter Leader

Robert Gould, DCTA President

Vernon Jones Jr., DPS Parent

Madelyn Percy-Villegas, DPS Teacher

Carrie A. Olson, PhD, former DPS teacher, parent and school board member

Jill Ozarski, DPS Parent

Russ Ramsey, DPS Parent

Morada Tripp, DPS Parent