denver | Schools and funding will be major issues in the 2024 Colorado Legislature.
The state Legislature approved a new school funding system that was 10 years in the making. They passed a “fully funded” K-12 budget, provided financial relief to school districts enrolling large numbers of new students, and gave public universities significant funding increases.
This year's session, which ended Wednesday, marked the sixth consecutive time that both chambers of Congress are controlled by Democrats. Governor Jared Polis is also a Democrat.
The new school funding mechanism has sparked the most heated debate. Lawmakers pushed the bill to a vote near the end of the session, and a final vote was taken on the final day. The bill calls for $500 million in new spending over six years and follows a framework developed by a 17-member task force, but also includes compromises led by sponsors.
The bill received a boost after lawmakers repealed a so-called budget stabilizer that withheld constitutionally required K-12 funding to free up funding for other priorities. Increased. Colorado is currently in what lawmakers are calling the era of “full funding,” but many advocates and district leaders say schools still need more funding.
University leaders expressed similar concerns about the budget, warning they would have to raise tuition unless the state provides more funding for operations.
The powerful Joint Budget Committee, which has significant control over state budgeting, provided millions of dollars more to higher education than Polis' proposal. Although this funding will help curb tuition increases, concerns about chronic funding shortages remain.
Here's a thematic list of education bills that passed (and some that didn't) this year. Some bills have already been signed by Polis, while others have not yet become law.
student rights
Under House Bill 1039, schools would be required to use students' preferred names. Refusing to use a student's preferred name is considered a form of discrimination.
Bullying based on a student's weight, height, or size would be prohibited under House Bill 1285, which would add appearance-related bullying to the list of behaviors subject to school discipline policies and reporting requirements.
Under House Bill 1323, kindergarten, public school, and college students would be allowed to wear items of cultural or religious significance to graduation ceremonies.
House Bill 1216 would provide students involved in the criminal justice system with increased support for enrolling or re-enrolling in school and participating in school activities such as graduation ceremonies and sporting events. The state will also begin tracking attendance, dropout and graduation rates. For those students.
student health
I Matter, a free therapy program for Colorado students started during the pandemic, will be made permanent after lawmakers pass Senate Bill 1. I Matter is offering six free telehealth or in-person counseling sessions to students from elementary school through high school.
Under House Bill 1003, students would be allowed to carry and administer naloxone, a drug that can be used to reverse an opiate overdose, at school without risk of discipline or confiscation.
House Bill 1406 would allow an outside organization to provide state-funded training to mental health staff in at least 400 public schools by the 2027-28 school year, with an emphasis on rural schools and underserved students. will be provided.
Senate Bill 7 would contract with a Colorado nonprofit for a behavioral health first aid training program that would train educators to recognize and respond to signs of mental health crises and substance abuse in teens. will be established.
The grant program that funds school-based health centers would be expanded to include behavioral, preventive, and oral health services under Senate Bill 34.
A bill that would have created a task force to study how schools can increase when and how long students eat lunch was not considered in committee and did not pass.
Student and teacher safety
The task force created by House Bill 1320 will investigate incidents of student attacks on teachers, the impact of special education staffing shortages, and inadequate funding for student wraparound services. The task force will make recommendations for improvements.
Middle and high school sports coaches in public and private schools would be required to complete an abuse prevention training program under Senate Bill 113.
Under Senate Bill 131, carrying firearms on the premises of schools, universities, and day care centers is prohibited, with some exceptions.
Under Senate Bill 162, the Colorado Department of Education will contract with an outside organization to develop best practices for how schools respond to reports of harassment and discrimination. Public schools must begin training employees in the 2025-26 school year.
higher education
House Bill 1340 creates a tax credit for students enrolled in college. The bill would provide at least two years of funding to attend an in-state university for students with annual household incomes of less than $90,000.
Students between the ages of 17 and 26 who experienced homelessness at some point during their high school years could receive assistance with college tuition under House Bill 1403.
Colorado universities have a higher than average percentage of students who are the first in their families to attend college and are designated as first-generation institutions under House Bill 1082.
Students who transfer from one university to another will be able to keep their earned credits, among other rights for transfer students set out in Senate Bill 164.
Senate Bill 51 would fix an oversight in legislation passed last year that was intended to expand the Adult Diploma Program to help the more than 300,000 residents who did not graduate from high school.
Childcare/Early Childhood Education
A pandemic-era team that helps Spanish-speaking child care providers obtain licenses will continue its work after the Colorado General Assembly approved continued funding in House Bill 1009.
Colorado's child care subsidy program is undergoing an overhaul aimed at increasing subsidies for some families, making subsidies easier to access and getting more providers to accept them. will be held. House Bill 1223 would also cover full tuition for child care workers who place children in child care centers.
Nature-based preschool programs can become licensed child care centers under Senate Bill 78.
House Bill 1331 creates a $5 million grant program for academic enrichment programs that occur during school holidays. The program must be offered to public school students.
students with disabilities
House Bill 1063 would create stricter guardrails for the use of reduced schedules for students with disabilities and would require states to suspend the school day because students were sent home early or had their schedules changed. It is mandatory to collect data on the frequency of absence from classes.
A bill that would have prohibited students from confining themselves in a room alone was defeated at the request of organizers. State data shows young students with disabilities are disproportionately isolated.
Senate Bill 69 would create a training program for parents and special education advocates “in plain and understandable language” about Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) that detail the services schools must provide to students with disabilities. States are required to create one.
teacher workforce
School districts experiencing teacher shortages would be able to hire more retirees to fill vacancies without affecting retirees' pension benefits under House Bill 1044.
Local school districts would be able to hire retired superintendents and principals without affecting their pension benefits under Senate Bill 99.
House Bill 1087 would authorize teachers to use alternative methods of teaching special education or early childhood education, two fields that continue to be in short supply. Teachers can participate in a new induction program instead of completing a university program.
Out-of-state school psychologists who want to work in Colorado schools will be able to more easily transfer their license under the interstate compact created by House Bill 1096.
House Bill 1264 creates an online portal where educators can post resumes and school districts can post job openings. The portal also includes information about career incentives, scholarships, loan forgiveness programs, mentorship opportunities, and more.
teacher training
House Bill 1446 creates a free, optional training program for science teachers. The program includes “instruction on interventions for students who are below grade level or who are struggling in science, students with disabilities, and students who are English language learners.”
House Bill 1376 expands on an existing program that provides stipends for experienced teachers to mentor new teachers with less than three years of experience.
Some student teachers would receive stipends under House Bill 1290.
school funds
Under House Bill 1389, the Colorado Legislature has decided to allocate $24 million to school districts that enroll immigrant students after the Oct. 1 student count.
Lawmakers passed House Bill 1390 in an attempt to strengthen a new state program that provides free school meals to all students. The program faces funding shortfalls, and the bill delays implementation of certain parts of the program to save money.
charter school
Under House Bill 1154, charter schools chartered by the state's Charter School Association will share a portion of revenue from local voter-approved tax increases if the school needs funding for construction or building renovation projects. Now you can ask for it.
CSI-authorized charters would also receive so-called mill levy equalization funds (state funds equal to the voter-approved tax revenue received by district-operated schools in the same community) under House Bill 1394.
A bill that would make major changes to how charter schools operate in Colorado and make it easier for local governments to close them has failed in the state Legislature.
history and research
House Bill 1444 would provide two additional years of funding for the Colorado Historical Research Program “concerning the physical abuse and deaths that occurred at federal Indian boarding schools in Colorado.” The bill prioritizes collecting oral history from survivors.
climate education
Under Senate Bill 14, Colorado high school graduates will be able to earn a “climate literacy seal” on their diplomas to prove their green job skills and background in Colorado's natural resource management. Become.
prison education
House Bill 1461 would allow incarcerated students to take full advantage of the law that allows early release to earn a college degree.
career education
Under House Bill 1439, Colorado employers can now receive a tax credit of up to $12,600 per apprentice when they hire an apprentice for at least six months.
House Bill 1365 allocates $3.8 million for the fourth round of Opportunity Now grants to address labor shortages in the infrastructure and construction industries.
ban on books
Colorado lawmakers have rejected a bill that would make it harder to remove content from schools and public libraries. However, the issue later resurfaced in Congress in Senate Bill 216, with a significant omission. School libraries are not included in the passed bill.
Jason Gonzalez is a reporter covering higher education and the Colorado Legislature. Chalkbeat Colorado is affiliated with Open Campus in higher education. Contact Jason at jgonzales@chalkbeat.org.