DPS Employees, Parents Protest Low Wages Amid Higher Cost Of Living

DENVER (CBS4) - Some Denver Public School employees are protesting for higher wages, saying the district's minimum wage is not enough to survive in Denver. The minimum wage in Denver is $15.87.

Protestors say the district does pay positions including paraprofessionals and facility management teams at that rate. The group gathered at Valdez Elementary School on Monday night to make their cases heard.

"The cost of living keeps getting higher and higher and our pay still remains the same," said one speaker.

Protestors included employees, union representatives and parents of students.

"We cannot ask these educators .. putting their lives and family member's lives at risk to keep showing up for pay that doesn't even cover their rent, let alone their full expenses," said another speaker.

DPS responded to the protest saying, in part, "The Superintendent is committed to increasing salaries for our lowest earning employees with the savings from the recently announced reorganization."