The Douglas County School District Board of Education on Tuesday sent a $490 million bond measure that officials said would fund new schools, create more programs and upgrade existing facilities to the ballot box for voters to decide this November. 

The ballot language states that the proposed bond will not impose a new tax, though it could potentially cost the public up to $895 million once the borrowing is fully paid. 

That same bond proposal failed last year.

School district officials argued that the money is even more critical now. They pointed to needs surrounding building renovations and to two growing communities that need their own schools — Sterling Ranch and RidgeGate.

DCSD Superintendent Erin Kane said the proposal will not require a tax increase in the immediate future. That is, the district will maintain its current tax rate at 5.2 mills.

“The district becomes self-sustaining by having a debt plan that can keep the mill rate flat, within reason, and continue to take out debt to invest in assets over time,” Kane said during Tuesday’s final bond proposal presentation.

The school district expects to propose new bond measures every four years to keep up with building maintenance, which will eventually necessitate a tax increase, according to Kane.

Officials said the bond will pay for the following:

• $150 million for new school construction in RidgeGate and Sterling Ranch, and an expansion of the Sierra Middle School

• $178.9 million for capital renewal and replacement

• $38.2 million for career and technical education programs

• $15.4 million for special education

• $10 million for safety and security

• $8.3 million for transportation

Kane said growing capital needs are affecting the quality of education in the district.

“All of our kids that attend public schools in Douglas County School District should be able to attend safe and adequate facilities,” she said.

Kids from Sterling Ranch or RidgeGate need to travel far just to get to a district school, Kane said, adding that existing schools could become overcrowded if no new ones in growing communities are built.

In Sterling Ranch, there are enough kids to fill two elementary schools, according to Kane.

Melissa Harmon, the Mayor of Lone Tree, where RidgeGate is located, said the bond is “crucial for our future,” adding that within the growing area, “there is a pressing need for a community school.”

Citing a poll, Kane said roughly 60% of voters supports the bond measure.

The district hasn’t built a new school since 2010. Since then, Douglas County’s population has increased by more than 90,000 people, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

In 2024, more than 62,000 students attended 90 schools across the district, roughly a 700 students-per-school average.

Since 1984, DCSD has passed six bond measures, the largest being a $250 million package in 2018.

It was the school district’s last successful bond measure, though voters last year approved a $66 million tax hike to increase teacher compensation in order to be more competitive and to maintain school security, such as armed officers on campus.

Tyler Sandberg, a political consultant, last year said that voters have “long shown a willingness to increase taxes at the local level.” 

That year, Douglas County voters, who lean conservative, rejected a $484 million bond for capital projects.

“It’s up to campaigns to make a persuasive case,” Sandberg then said.

Officials argued that without the bond money, the district cannot address its backlog of needs and that waiting to fund these programs and capital projects would only make them more expensive.

Meanwhile, they also argued, the costs will keep increasing for certain needs, such as transporting students from school to school.

Officials said Douglas County’s schools need $300 million to eliminate that backlog.

“I have grandchildren in Douglas County, and I want them to go to the same type, be in a safe building, and go to schools that are renovated and fixed when they need to be,” said board member Becky Myers.

Board member Valerie Thompson described the bond as a “well vetted solution to needs we need to address.”

“This is almost a no-brainer when it comes to necessary and prudent,” added board Member Tim Moore. “This one would be irresponsible not to do.”

“This one has been the one that kept me up at night,” said Board President Kristy Williams. “I think that we are showing our community that we are committed to making sure that we are serving the needs of each community.”

Denver Public Schools is pushing a similar measure, asking voters to approve a $975 million bond.

When talking about the past two bond failures on the Douglas County ballot, Williams said, “I think I would be doing a disservice by not putting this on the ballot. At the end of the day, this is what’s right and best for our kids.”