Voters in Denver will be asked to approve the biggest school tax package in Colorado history on Nov. 6.

Students from Denver’s Gilpin School pose in this EdNews file photo.

Backers say a perfect storm of increasing enrollment, state funding cuts and aging buildings are the major reasons for the requests for a $466 million school bond issue and a $49 million increase for operating expenses.

If voters approve both measures, property tax bills would increase $5 per month or $62 per year for every $100,000 of a home’s value.

The measures “represent the most critical projects that need to be funded to help our children … have access to the kinds of programs and services that increase their academic achievement,” board President Mary Seawell said at the campaign’s Sept. 9 kickoff rally.

“All students will benefit, all schools will see a change,” she said.

If approved, the bond issue would provide $230 million for facility maintenance, $119 million to build six new schools and $78 million to renovate and expand existing schools. The operating tax increase would provide, among other initiatives, $13 million for early childhood education and $11 million for enrichment programs, such as arts, music, physical education.

School board members struggled to find common ground leading up to a 5-2 vote in August on whether to place the tax proposals on the 2012 ballot. The majority of board members enthusiastically endorsed the DPS tax package and have joined the Say Yes to 3A + 3B campaign.

Despite a series of concessions offered to hold-out board members, member Andrea Merida said she could not support the package because of concerns that it didn’t funnel enough resources to older schools in southwest Denver. Member Arturo Jimenez said he would vote in favor of initiatives to be covered by the operating tax increase, but joined Merida in opposing the bond.

Board member Jeannie Kaplan was reluctant in her support. But she joined the board majority after ensuring that open classroom configurations would be fixed, that there would be new measures of accountability built into the system and that due consideration would be given to opening district-run schools, not just charter schools, in growing neighborhoods.

Approval of the operating tax increase would mean the first cost-of-living increase for Denver teachers in years, under an agreement reached between DPS and the Denver Classroom Teachers Association in June. If it’s passed, Denver teachers would receive a 1 percent cost-of-living raise retroactive to Sept. 1. The raise isn’t listed among the tax projects; instead, district leaders say it could be funded because the ballot measure would free up general fund dollars that would have gone to other needs.