The Denver Public Schools Board of Education on Thursday night approved a $911 million operating budget for the 2015-16 school year.

Superintendent Tom Boasberg touted the expansion of a teacher leadership program that allows teachers to spend half of their day teaching, and the other half coaching fellow teachers.

The program’s expansion, district-wide minimum wage increase and new incentives for teachers working in high-needs schools were made possible by a last-minute House bill that allowed DPS to lower pension payments to the statewide PERA system, matching what other districts pay.

The adjustment freed up about $20 million from the district’s general funds.

“We are going to be using that money for teachers and equity,” Boasberg said. “I’m very excited about our expansion in teacher leadership. For many of them this is encouraging them to stay in the classroom. It’s a tremendous career opportunity for our teachers.”

The district also plans to hire 300 new teachers in the next two years. The number of students in the district has increased (projected at 92,000 for the upcoming year) making DPS the largest district in the state, and projections show continued growth. READ Entire Article in the Denver Post