DPS Ballot Issue 4A asks Denver voters on November 3, 2026 to raise school property taxes by up to $44 million a year. DPS estimates the cost at about $11.50 a year per $100,000 of home value, so a Sunnyside home’s increase depends on its value.
Every Denver homeowner who opens a ballot this fall will find a Denver Public Schools measure near the bottom of it. Ballot Issue 4A is a mill levy override, a voter-approved property tax that pays for a school district’s day-to-day operating costs. The DPS Board of Education voted unanimously on August 13, 2026 to send it to voters, and it shares the ballot with several City of Denver measures.
Sunnyside sits entirely inside the City and County of Denver, which is also the boundary of Denver Public Schools, so every taxable home in the neighborhood falls under the measure. Whether 4A passes or fails, it will show up on property tax bills across Northwest Denver, from Sunnyside and Berkeley to West Highland and LoHi.
Jason Sirois is a Denver Realtor with FORM at Compass, whose office is at 1900 W 32nd Ave in Northwest Denver. This post explains what 4A would do, what it would cost, how it fits with what DPS already collects, and how to work out the effect on a specific home. It does not take a position on how to vote.
What does DPS Ballot Issue 4A do?
According to the Denver Gazette’s voter guide, 4A would raise DPS property taxes by up to $44 million in 2026, for collection in 2027, and by that amount each year after. The ballot language says the money would go to educational purposes “including, but not limited to” educator pay, career and technical education, and student mental health and special education.
Colorado Politics reported the district’s planned split of the roughly $43.9 million a year:
| Planned use | Annual amount |
|---|---|
| Raises for district employees ($1,750 each) | $25.8 million |
| Share for charter schools, required by state law | $9.3 million |
| Student mental health and special education support | $4.9 million |
| Expanded career and technical education | $4.0 million |
Source: Colorado Politics, August 13, 2026, citing DPS.
The coverage did not report an end date for the new override. A DPS spokesperson told Colorado Politics that the district’s existing overrides continue in perpetuity, and the voter guide describes 4A as applying “annually thereafter.”
How much would 4A add to a Sunnyside property tax bill?
DPS’s estimate, reported in the Gazette voter guide, is about $11.50 a year for every $100,000 of a home’s value. On Denver’s median-priced home, which the guide puts at $624,800, that works out to about $72 a year.
Applying that same rate to a few home values gives a rough sense of scale:
| Home value | Estimated added cost per year |
|---|---|
| $500,000 | About $57.50 |
| $624,800 (Denver median, per the voter guide) | About $72 |
| $750,000 | About $86.25 |
| $1,000,000 | About $115 |
These figures are simple arithmetic on DPS’s $11.50-per-$100,000 estimate, not an official calculation for any property. The actual amount depends on the value the Denver Assessor sets for the home, the residential assessment rate in effect for the tax year, and the final mill levy the district certifies. To check a specific Sunnyside address, look up its current assessed value with the Denver Assessor and apply the estimate.
What does DPS already collect from Denver homeowners?
4A would sit on top of overrides voters have already approved. Colorado Politics reported that DPS collected $369.6 million last year from seven overrides dating back to 1988, and that voters have approved every override the district has put on the ballot over that period. The district’s existing operating overrides are capped at $288.9 million under state law; 4A would raise that cap to $332.9 million.
The same report put the DPS share of a typical Denver single-family property tax bill at $1,480 in 2020 and a projected $2,276 in 2026, an increase of nearly 54%. It also noted that Denver voters approved a $975 million DPS bond less than two years earlier, which officials said would not raise the tax rate. Bonds pay for buildings and other one-time capital projects; overrides like 4A pay for ongoing operating costs such as salaries and programs.
What else is on the Denver ballot?
Sunnyside voters will see several City of Denver measures alongside 4A. The Gazette’s voter guide summarizes them:
- 2H: clarifies in the city charter that the Auditor’s Office can keep enforcing wage and workplace laws.
- 2I: allows a two-year city budget cycle and updates or repeals some charter sections.
- 2J: updates Civil Service Commission and Department of Safety rules.
- 2K: approves a 20-year franchise agreement with Xcel Energy starting January 1, 2027.
- Initiated Ordinance 311: bans force-feeding birds and selling products made from force-fed birds, including foie gras.
Of these, only 4A is a property tax increase. Homeowners just west of Sheridan Boulevard vote on a different school measure: Jeffco Public Schools ballot issues 5A and 5B, which we covered in what Jeffco 5A and 5B would cost an Applewood homeowner.
Does a school tax measure affect buying or selling in Sunnyside?
In practical terms, a change of roughly $57 to $115 a year on homes in the $500,000 to $1 million range is small next to a mortgage payment or homeowners insurance. Where it does matter is in the numbers buyers and lenders use. Escrow accounts are set from the most recent tax bill, so a buyer who closes in 2027 may see an escrow adjustment once the 2026 levy is billed. Sellers’ prorated tax credits at closing are also based on the latest known bill.
School questions come up for other reasons in Sunnyside too. Columbian Elementary closed at the end of the 2024-25 school year, and students now enroll through a northwest enrollment zone; our post on what happened to Columbian Elementary and where students go now covers how that works. For more on the neighborhood itself, see our Sunnyside community page.
When we work with buyers and sellers in Northwest Denver, the useful step is the same either way: pull the most recent tax bill for the specific property, then account for any approved changes, rather than relying on a neighborhood average.
When and how do Sunnyside residents vote?
Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026, and ballots must be received by 7 p.m. that day. Colorado Politics’ metro Denver voter guide listed October 26 as the last day it recommended mailing a ballot, so voters who still have one should return it to a Denver ballot drop box or voter service center instead. Registration and drop box locations are listed on the Denver Elections Division site.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is DPS ballot issue 4A?
It is a Denver Public Schools mill levy override on the November 3, 2026 ballot. It would raise district property taxes by up to $44 million a year, starting with taxes collected in 2027, for purposes including educator pay, career and technical education, mental health and special education.
How much would 4A cost a Sunnyside homeowner?
DPS estimates about $11.50 a year per $100,000 of home value. That is about $72 a year on a $624,800 home, Denver’s median according to the Denver Gazette, and roughly $115 on a $1 million home. The exact amount depends on the home’s assessed value.
Is DPS 4A temporary?
The reporting on 4A did not include an end date. The voter guide says the increase applies in 2026 and “annually thereafter,” and a DPS spokesperson said the district’s existing overrides continue in perpetuity.
Does Sunnyside vote on DPS or Jeffco school measures?
DPS. Sunnyside is inside the City and County of Denver, which shares its boundary with Denver Public Schools. Jeffco Public Schools measures apply west of Sheridan Boulevard.
When is the deadline to return a Denver ballot?
Ballots must be received by 7 p.m. on Tuesday, November 3, 2026. After the recommended mailing date, return the ballot to a drop box or voter service center rather than mailing it.
Is 4A the same as the 2024 DPS bond?
No. The $975 million bond voters approved in 2024 pays for buildings and capital projects. 4A is an operating override that pays for ongoing costs such as salaries and programs.
This article is for general information only and summarizes published reporting on Denver’s November 2026 ballot as of late October 2026. It is not tax, legal or voting advice, and FORM at Compass takes no position on any ballot measure. Check the Denver Elections Division and the Denver Assessor for official information.
