H_ED_2019A 01/29/2019 01:32:15 PM Committee Summary

Representative McLachlan announced that House Bill 19-1094, concerning internet links to life skills education courses, would be laid over to Thursday, January 31, 2019.

The committee recessed.

The committee came back to order.

Representatives Buentello and Kipp, co-prime sponsors, presented House Bill 19-1066, concerning counting special education students in graduation rates. The bill clarifies the method used to calcualte graduation rates at public high schools.

Representatives Buentello and Kipp responded to questions from the committee regarding the students that would qualify as special education students under the bill.

Brandon Shaffer, St. Vrain Valley Schools, came to the table to respond to questions from the committee regarding curriculum for high-need and special education students and how schools could statistically count special education students in their graduation rates.

The following people testified on the bill:

Maureen Welch, representing herself, testified in support of the bill and responded to questions from the committee.

Laura Hess, St. Vrain Valley Schools Special Education Director, testified in support of the bill.

Representatives Kipp and Buentello responded to questions from the committee regarding the bill.

Ms. Hess answered questions about which students would qualify under the bill, and committee discussion continued.

Dr. JoAnn Fujioka, representing the Colorado Parent Teacher Association, testified in support of the bill.

Representative Buentello distributed Amendment L.001 (Attachment A).  Representative Kipp answered questions about how many students are considered special education students under the bill.

Representative Geitner, sponsor, presented House Bill 19-1100, concerning the prohibition of a school district board of education's restriction on certain transactions invlolving the school district's property. Under current law, locally elected school boards have the power to sell or lease district-owned property for any purpose authorized by law. The bill prohibits a local school board from including any title, covenant, deed, or other use restriction on the sale or lease of district property that restricts the property from being used as a public or nonpublic school for any grade from preschool through twelfth grade. Representative Geitner also distributed Amendment L.001 (Attachment B), which limits the prohibition of the restriction of sale if school boards do not provide public notice to include such a use restriction.

The following people testified on the bill:

Kathy Shannon, Colorado Association of School Boards, testified in opposition to the bill.

Dr. JoAnn Fujioka, Colorado Parent Teacher Assocation, testified in opposition to the bill.

Ms. Shannon responded to questions from the committee regarding the Charter School Act, which requires that school boards give notice when buildings or land become vacant. Ms. Shannon also discussed the Colorado Open Meetings Law and how it would apply to school boards in real estate transactions.  Committee discussion ensued.

Ms. Shannon continued to answer questions from the committee about the provisions of the bill and the Charter School Act.

Luke Ragland, Ready Colorado, testified in support of the bill.

Dan Schaller, Colorado League of Charter Schools, testified in support of the bill.

Mr. Ragland responded to questions from the committee.

Theresa Martinez, Pueblo School for Arts and Sciences, testified in support of the bill.

James Olonia, Pueblo School of Arts and Sciences, testified in support of the bill and discussed how Pueblo School of Arts and Sciences would benefit from the bill and how the school struggled purchasing property from the district school board. Mr. Olonia responded to questions from the committee.

Representative Geitner discussed Amendment L.001. Nicole Myers, Office of Legislative Legal Services, answered questions from the committee. Committee discussion ensued.

The committee recessed.

The committee came back to order.