Douglas County voters appear to favor a $490 million school bond that supporters say would fund more programs, upgrade existing facilities and build schools in newer neighborhoods.

The initial results show the proposal is leading by 18 points, 59.09% to 40.91% with 80.53% of active voters counted within Douglas County. As of Wednesday morning, 218,782 voters in the county voiced their opinions on the near $500 million bond for its school district, the tally shows.

Similar to the bond measure proposed in Denver, the Douglas County School District is asking for $490 million that proponents say would revitalize schools and build new ones in a growing school district.

The ballot language says 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.

A similar 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.

Both Douglas County communities expect to grow over the years.

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

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 earlier said.

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.

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

“I am so grateful for our entire community for shouting loud and clear that they support our schools, our kids, our teachers,” DCSD Superintendent Erin Kane told The Denver Gazette in an email.

“Now,” she added, “it’s incumbent on us to make sure that we spend this money carefully, exactly as we said we would, transparently and with the oversight of a citizen’s committee.”