Legislative Council Staff conducts a study of the cost of living in each school district every two years to update the cost-of-living factors used in the state's school finance funding formula as required by state law.  The first study was conducted in 1993, and a study has been...

Senate Bill 17-296 amends the Public School Finance Act of 1994 to provide funding for school districts in FY 2017-18. The bill was signed by the Governor on June 2, 2017, and became effective on that date. Senate Bill 17-254, the "Long Bill," appropriates most of the state aid distributed to...

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...

Final Report to the Colorado General Assembly by the School Start Time Interim Study Committee.

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...

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...

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.

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...

Summary Report for the School Safety Committee to the Legislative Council.

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.

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...