The Senate will get another chance to consider a Denver Public Schools pension bill that became ensnared in U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet’s re-election bid.
After a Senate committee , the House and passed it Monday on a 50-14 vote. The bill was again assigned to the Senate State, Veterans and Military Affairs Committee, where it likely will be heard Tuesday.
The bill is one of dozens under a time crunch as the session must end by midnight Wednesday. Veteran lobbyists say they’ve never seen this many bills still being heard in committees this late in the session.
Under , DPS would pay the same percentage into the state retirement system as other schools. Currently Denver pays about $23 million more a year into the Colorado Public Employees’ Retirement Association, even though its liability is 86 percent fully funded and other school districts are only 64 percent funded.
The Colorado League of Charter Schools .
DPS has more charter schools than any other school district in the state, around 50, said Dan Schaller, director of advocacy for the league. If DPS didn’t have to pay extra into the pension fund, it could send about $2 million annually to charter schools.
“There’s no reason for this bill not to pass,” he said Monday.
DPS Superintendent Tom Boasberg said the money would allow Denver to add two to three teachers to every single school in the district.
The original DPS pension bill passed the House in March on a 55-9 vote. Supporters said they were told by Senate Republicans the national GOP didn’t want the measure, as it could be seen as helping Bennet in 2016. The Democrat served as Denver’s superintendent before coming senator.
After it died, Boasberg and Gov. John Hickenlooper met with top legislative leaders to try to figure out a solution.
DPS parent Maria Sierra came to the Capitol Monday to urge the Senate to pass the bill. Sierra has two children attending Denver schools.
“Why would you not change this (the current pension payment) so more teachers could be in the classroom?” she said.
Lynn Bartels: 303-954-5327, lbartels@denverpost.com or twitter.com/lynn_bartels
