Starting salaries for support staff at Denver Public Schools will increase on Monday after the district came to an agreement with several organizations on Thursday. 

Bus drivers and mechanics, safety patrol officers, custodial staff, paraprofessionals and food service employees are among the positions benefiting from the increase, a district spokesman said.

An initial increase will occur on Monday, with the district’s paraprofessionals receiving the largest increase — 26% or $4.87 an hour. Starting wages will continue to increase through 2024, the spokesman said.

Under the new wage system:

• Starting wages for paraprofessionals will increase to $20 an hour from $15.87 an hour. The wages will increase to $20.50 and $21 an hour in 2023 and 2024, respectively. 
• Starting wages for food service employees will increase to $18 an hour on Monday. The following year the starting wage will increase to $19 and $20 an hour in 2024.
• Starting wages for custodians will increase to $18 an hour beginning Monday and will increase to $20 an hour by the 2024-25 school year.
• The starting wage for patrol officers will be $27.50 an hour and will increase to $29.50 an hour by the 2024-25 school year.
• Starting wages for bus drivers will increase to $24.40 an hour on Monday, while starting salaries for transportation maintenance employees will increase to $22.42 an hour. 

“This is a monumental step forward in Denver Public Schools to be a district that truly values its hourly workers and I acknowledge this is not enough, but it’s a substantial increase and a commitment to those who do some of the toughest jobs in the Denver Public Schools,” said Tay Anderson,  vice president of the school board. “I know what it means to make $12 an hour as a paraprofessional in Denver Public Schools, so I’m grateful that this deal has been reached.”

Anderson added that he plans to codify a $20 minimum wage into district policy. His goal is to have this initiative finished by the beginning of 2023.