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DENVER (KDVR) — Depending on the district, Denver-area teacher pay varies widely.

Denver Public Schools and Jeffco Public Schools teachers are in the process of negotiating higher pay, saying their salaries have not kept up with 40-year record inflation. In the past, the purchasing power of teachers salaries went down in economic downturns.

Non-charter teachers in affluent areas have much better chances of their salaries keeping up, according to records from the Colorado Department of Education.

Boulder Valley School District pays teachers best. The average pay for a Boulder Valley teacher was $85,687 a year at the beginning of the 2021-22 school year.

Cherry Creek comes next with an average $78,104 per year, followed by Littleton with $75,246. Denver Public Schools teachers were the fifth-best paid with an average $70,910 per year.

Smaller and more rural districts pay less. Elizabeth School District teachers made $46,471 per year. Platte Canyon comes next with $50,531, followed by Clear Creek with $52,883.