Second Regular Session | 72nd General Assembly
Colorado General AssemblyThe purpose of this publication is to help readers understand how Colorado finances its public elementary and secondary schools. The major focus is an explanation of the funding formula included in the Public School Finance Act of 1994, including amendments made to the act in 2019. Several...
The Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has impacted almost every facet of the education system, including standardized tests and college entrance examinations. This memorandum provides scheduling updates on some of the country’s most relied upon placement and college entrance examinations and will...
Final Report to the Colorado General Assembly by the Interim Committee on School Finance.
In the midst of school closures across the state due to the COVID-19 outbreak, schools and state agencies are working to ensure that K-12 students continue to receive academic support. Legislative Council Staff is committed to providing members of the Colorado General Assembly and other...
2019 Colorado School District Cost of Living Analysis
The quality of child care and early childhood education (ECE) are key concerns for parents and policymakers alike. Whether daycare, preschool, or another setting, child care and ECE allow parents to remain in the workforce and improve the school readiness of children. This issue brief...
Final report to the Colorado General Assembly by the School Safety Committee. This committee was created by a resolution adopted by the Executive Committee of the Legislative Council during the 2019 legislative interim. The purpose of this committee was to study how violence at, and threats of...
Final report to the Colorado General Assembly by the Early Childhood and School Readiness Legislative Commission. The purpose of this commission is to study issues related to early childhood and school readiness in order to improve the state’s early childhood policies.
Summary Report for the School Safety Committee to the Legislative Council.
Three bills that were enacted during the 2019 legislative session significantly affected the financing of public schools in Colorado:
Reading competency is pivotal to the academic development of Colorado’s students. State law targets the early elementary grades as the essential time and location for developing the reading skills necessary for successful academic achievement in later grades. This issue brief provides...
During the 2019 legislative session, the General Assembly considered measures related to higher education. Specifically, the measures concern student loans and financial aid, college and career access and readiness, teacher preparation and retention, and the administration and governance of...
Final report to the General Assembly of the Early Childhood and School Readiness Legislative Commission. The purpose of this commission is to study issues related to early childhood and school readiness in order to improve the state’s early childhood policies.
During the 2018 legislative session, the Colorado General Assembly considered measures related to higher education. Specifically, the legislature considered measures regarding the transfer of credit, student admissions, teacher preparatory programs, and military experience and workforce...
During the 2018 legislative session, the General Assembly considered measures related to public school funding in Colorado. Specifically, the legislature considered bills pertaining to kindergarten through twelfth grade (K-12) school funding, tax credits and deductions, grant programs, school...
During the 2018 legislative session, the General Assembly considered measures related to kindergarten through twelfth grade (K-12) education in Colorado. Specifically, the legislature considered bills pertaining to early childhood education, school safety, workforce readiness programs in schools...
The Legislative Interim Committee on School Finance was created to study issues related to school funding and to consider alternative school finance funding formulas during the 2017 and 2018 interims.
Final Report to the Colorado General Assembly by the School Start Time Interim Study Committee.
The Early Childhood and School Readiness Legislative Commission was created pursuant to Section 26-6.5-203, Colorado Revised Statutes. The purpose of this commission is to study issues related to early childhood and school readiness in order to improve the state’s early childhood policies.
The financing of K-12 public education in Colorado over the past three decades has been affected by three constitutional amendments: the Gallagher Amendment, the TABOR Amendment, and Amendment 23. Combined with the results of key court cases, these amendments have created a complex educational...
This memorandum provides a brief overview of the process by which one or more school districts may change their geographical boundaries. The process is found in the "School District Organization Act of 1992", article 30 of title 22, C.R.S.
House Bill 18-1379 amends the Public School Finance Act of 1994 to provide funding for school districts in FY 2018‑19. The bill was signed by the Governor on May 24, 2018, and became effective on that date. House Bill 18-1322, the "Long Bill," appropriates most of the state aid distributed to...
During the 2008 session, the General Assembly enacted House Bill 08-1335, the Building Excellent Schools Today (BEST) act. The act replaced existing law concerning state financial assistance for public school capital construction and established a grant program in order to accelerate funding for...