Founded in 1995, the Colorado School Finance Project (CSFP) is a non-profit whose mission is to compile, collect, and distribute research-based, non-partisan information and data on topics related to school finance for state and local policymakers.
WATCH NOW: Colorado School Finance Project presents-Did You Know? Colorado’s School Finance History 2019
Salida School Board Work Session– February 11, 2020
2020 CASE Winter Leadership Conference Presentations:
– “Nuts and Bolts”– February 05, 2020
– “2020 Ballot”– February 06, 2020
School District Uniform Total Program Mill Levy (2020):
– Draft bill 20-0291
– Bill Summary
– Uniform Mill Year 1 BSF Buydown financial run– district-level data
– Uniform Mill Full Implementation- BSF + MLO Equalization– district-level data
– MLO Equalization State Match Estimates– district-level data
The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) report, using U.S. Census data, indicates Colorado’s 4-year Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR) for 2016-17 is below the U.S. average in all categories. The CSFP created a chart illustrating the graduation gaps between Colorado and the U.S. average.
Supplemental Budget Requests FY2019-20, Department of Education- January 2020 – JBC staff document – subject to change.
HB20-1260 (bill text)- Adjustments to Total Program Funding for 2019-20 School Year
HB20-1260 (fiscal note)– Adjustments to Total Program Funding for 2019-20 School Year
Memo from JBC re: Supplemental Comeback for FY2019-20
Colorado Student Enrollment At-a-Glance 2019-20
Tax Effort and Fiscal Capacity 2019-20 by Assessed Value and type of Mill – includes pie chart and detail by school district
- Total Assessed Value 2019-20
- Assessed Value per Pupil 2019-20
- Total Program Mills 2019-20 – (mills each district levies as part of the school finance act)
- CORRECTED: Mill Levy Overrides 2019-20 – (voter-approved)
Colorado Education Policy Fellowship Program Presentation– University of Colorado at Denver: School of Public Affairs, January 22, 2020
CSFP’s January 2020 Advisory Meeting:
- Colorado State Economic & Budget Outlook– Kate Watkins, Chief Economist, Legislative Council Staff
- Vision2020 Policy Input Tool 2.0– Abby Vining and Carol Hedges, Colorado Fiscal Institute
- Vision2020 Input Tool Kit– Abby Vining and Carol Hedges, Colorado Fiscal Institute
Joint Budget Committee: Education Briefing Documents for FY 2020-21
February What We’re Reading:
– Making the Grade 2019: How Fair is School Funding in State?– Education Law Center
– Teacher Pay By State 2020- Interactive Map, World Population Review, retrieved January 27, 2020
– Small school districts say move to 4-day week attract, retain teachers– News Tribune, January 26, 2020
What We’re Reading – links to school finance related articles
2020 CASE Winter Leadership Conference Presentations:
- "Nuts and Bolts"- February 05, 2020
- "2020 Ballot"- February 06, 2020
School District Uniform Total Program Mill Levy (2020):
- Draft bill 20-0291
- Bill Summary
- Uniform Mill Year 1 BSF Buydown financial run- district-level data
- Uniform Mill Full Implementation- BSF + MLO Equalization- district-level data
- MLO Equalization State Match Estimates- district-level data
The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) report, using U.S. Census data, indicates Colorado's 4-year Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR) for 2015-16 is below the U.S. average in all categories. The CSFP created a chart illustrating the graduation gaps between Colorado and the U.S. average.
Supplemental Budget Requests FY2019-20, Department of Education-January 2020 - JBC staff document - subject to change.
HB20-1260 (bill text)- Adjustments to Total Program Funding for 2019-20 School Year
HB20-1260 (fiscal note)- Adjustments to Total Program Funding for 2019-20 School Year
Memo from JBC re:Supplemental Comeback for FY2019-20
Colorado Student Enrollment At-a-Glance 2019-20
Tax Effort and Fiscal Capacity 2019-20 by Assessed Value and type of Mill – includes pie chart and detail by school district
- Total Assessed Value 2019-20
- Assessed Value per Pupil 2019-20
- Total Program Mills 2019-20 - (mills each district levies as part of the school finance act)
- CORRECTED: Mill Levy Overrides 2019-20 - (voter-approved)
Colorado Education Policy Fellowship Program Presentation- University of Colorado at Denver: School of Public Affairs, January 22, 2020
CSFP’s January 2020 Advisory Meeting:
- Colorado State Economic & Budget Outlook– Kate Watkins, Chief Economist, Legislative Council Staff
- Vision2020 Policy Input Tool 2.0– Abby Vining and Carol Hedges, Colorado Fiscal Institute
- Vision2020 Input Tool Kit– Abby Vining and Carol Hedges, Colorado Fiscal Institute
January What We're Reading:
- Teacher Pay By State 2020- Interactive Map, World Population Review, retrieved January 27, 2020
- Small school districts say move to 4-day week attract, retain teachers- News Tribune, January 26, 2020
December 2019 Forecast
- Legislative Council staff
- Office of State Planning and Budget
2019 State Profile Data: Our annual profile information depicts changes in K-12 funding and counts (comparing the base year of 1992-93 to 2012-13 to 2016-17 to 2017-18). Data is audited so lags behind current information.
- 2019 State Profile Overview: a 1-page overview of areas of concern for K-12
- 2019 Overview Charts & Highlights: 2-page document with highlights and charts.
- CSFP 2019 State Profile Data: 4 tables and Notes page
- Table 1: Enrollment, Special Education, Free and Reduced Lunch, English language learners (ELL), and Gifted Students
- Table 2: Number of Teachers, Teachers per 1,000 students, Average Salary (comparing CO and National)
- Table 3: Per Student Current Spending and Revenues
- Table 4: Relationship between State/Local Revenue for K-12 Public Education and Personal Income
- Notes and Terms: Footnotes for all tables are located on this page.
Joint Budget Committee: Education Briefing Documents for FY 2020-21
Colorado Association of School Boards Convention, December 2019:
- New Board Member Training - December 5, 2019
2019 Interim School Finance Committee:
- 2019 Interim Committee on School Finance Colorado General Assembly website for 2019 session. Includes links to committee documents, committee schedule and meeting materials, and committee members
- FIFTH MEETING: December 16- Agenda AND Draft School Finance Bill LLS 20-0550
- FOURTH MEETING (2 days): October 21, 2019 & October 22, 2019
- THIRD MEETING: September 12, 2019 materials
- SECOND MEETING: August 19, 2019 materials
- FIRST MEETING: June 25, 2019 materials
December What We’re Reading
- Low-Income Schools Need More Funding. Here's How Colorado Lawmakers Want To Tweak The Formula To Make That Happen- Colorado Public Radio, December 17, 2019
- Four ways that tinkering with Colorado's school funding formula could impact state's districts- The Colorado Sun, December 16, 2019
- Fairer to whom? Colorado considers redividing the pie with a new school finance formula- Chalkbeat, December 13, 2019
"Bagels with the Board: University of Colorado" presentation- November 20, 2019
Final November 2019 Colorado Election Results for School Finance (Thank you to Paul Howe for taking the time to create and update the spreadsheet)
Map of Mill Levy Overrides for 2019 elections
Colorado Education Association Uniform Mill Levy Presentation– November 16, 2019
CSFP’s November Advisory Meeting:
- “School Distict Uniform Total Program Mill Levy” Bill DRAFT
- Uniform Total Program Mill Levy: LLS NO. 20-0291.02
Public Education and Business Coalition School Finance Presentation– November 13, 2019
School District Election Results for 2019: Bond, BEST, Mill Levy Override (MLO)
- 2019 School District Election DRAFT Report – Unofficial Results (as of 10am 11/07/19)
Governor’s FY 2020-21 November 1, 2019 Budget Request
2019 Interim School Finance Committee:
- 2019 Interim Committee on School Finance Colorado General Assembly website for 2019 session. Includes links to committee documents, committee schedule and meeting materials, and committee members
- FOURTH MEETING (2 days): October 21, 2019 & October 22, 2019
- THIRD MEETING: September 12, 2019 materials
- SECOND MEETING: August 19, 2019 materials
- FIRST MEETING: June 25, 2019 materials
- 2019 Interim School Finance Committee meeting dates are as follows (and are subject to change):
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- December 16
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November What We’re Reading:
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- December 16
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November What We're Reading:
- School district, community respond to 4As failure- The Journal, November 27, 2019
- Part calculator, part crystal ball: Colorado lawmaker's simulator testing tweals to state's school-funding formula - The Colorado Sun, November 27, 2019
- With Proposition CC's failure, Colorado Democrats face a budget crunch in 2020. Here are their 4 options to address it.- The Colorado Sun, November 27, 2019
- State Defines Line It Would Draw for Allowing 4-day School Weeks- Oklahoma Watch, November 23, 2019
– Colorado districts aren’t getting enough state money to maintain schools and attract. So they’re turning to local taxpayers.- The Colorado Sun, November 8, 2019
– ‘It’s huge for us’: More than a dozen Colorado districts approve school tax measures– Chalkbeat Colorado, November 7, 2019
– Making the Grade 2019: How Fair is School Funding in Your State?– Education Law Center, November 4, 2019
CASB Western Slope Advisory Meeting Presentation- October 17, 2019
Updated: Where are we now? A look at progress toward equitable and more adequate school funding
CSFP'S October Advisory Committee Meeting
- Update from Joint Budget Committee Staff, Craig Harper
- CASB Uniform Mill Levy- Matt Cook
- Colorado Economic and Fiscal Outlook- Lauren Larson and Allie Kimmel
- Vision 2020 Policy Input Tool- Abby Vining and Carol Hedges
Corrected: How much are school districts spending on School-level and District-level administration?
2019 Interim School Finance Committee:
FOURTH MEETING MATERIALS:
- Agenda– October 21, 2019
- Update from Joint Budget Committee Members on Issues Related to School Finance– October 21, 2019
- Agenda- October 22, 2019
- Public Comment to the Interim Committee on School Finance– Area Superintendents, October 2, 2019
- Additional Information for Interim School Finance Committee survey– CASE, October 2, 2019
- 2019 Interim Committee on School Finance Colorado General Assembly website for 2019 session. Includes links to committee documents, committee schedule and meeting materials, and committee members
Proposition CC (a "de-brucing" measure):
- HB19-1257 refers a question to the voters on whether or not the state can keep additional tax dollars for education and transportation investments. (Click here for HB19-1257's Fiscal Note.)
- HB19-1258 is a companion bill to HB19-1257. It specifies how revenue retained would be allocated. (Click here for HB19-1258's Fiscal Note.)
- Battle lines drawn around Tax Payers Bill of Rights as formal opposition to Proposition CC announced- Complete Colorado- Page Two, June 12, 2019
- Colorado voters leaning toward approving the elimination of state spending caps under TABOR, poll finds- Colorado Sun, August 14, 2019
- Now we know how much money is at stake on the 2019 ballot with Proposition CC and Tabor refunds in Colorado- Colorado Sun, September 20, 2019
- Individual District Prop CC Fact Sheets- Colorado Association of School Boards
- Proposition CC explained: What it means to end the spending caps in TABOR and the money at stake- Colorado Sun, October 11, 2019
October What We're Reading:
- Lawmakers are finally setting out to retool Colorado's school funding formula- The Colorado Sun, October 29, 2019
- When Five Days Become Four- Harvard Political Review, October 24, 2019
- Colorado lawmakers request changes to school funding- Colorado Politics, October 23, 2019
- Lawmakers and Advocates Alike Want To Revamp The 25-Year-Old Formula Behind School Funding. But They Don't Agree On How- CPR, October 22, 2019
- Colorado public education associations support superintendent concerns about proposed changes to accountability system- Press release from CASE, CASB, and CEA, Ocotber 3, 2019
- It's count day in Colorado Schools. Here's why an accurate census matters- Chalkbeat, October 2, 2019
September 2019 Economic Forecast
- Colorado Legislative Council Staff
- Governor's Office of State Planning & Budget (OSPB) Forecast
CASE Superintendent's Conference:
- Presentation: Taxpayer Equity Uniform Mill: How is K-12 impacted?
- Handout: Districts with 24-27 Mills or within 3 mills of TP FY2019-20
- Handout: Districts below 24 mills or within 3 mills of TP FY2019-20
2019-20: CSFP map of Colorado School Districts on 4-day weeks for 2019-20 School Year, (updated August 2019). Some districts choose to have a 4-day week. For others, it is a financial decision. Colorado has 178 school districts. Source: Colorado Department of Education and districts.
DRAFT of 2019 School District Elections - information is subject to change as more current information becomes available. Elections: Bond, BEST, Mill Levy Override (MLO), Operational MLO, and Transportation MLO. Information posted as of 9/17/2019.
CSFP'S September Advisory Committee Meeting
- Joint Budget Committee Staff, Craig Harper's Presentation: Education Property Tax Legislation for 2020: Input Needed
- Link to the two draft bills that are the starting points for legislation in the upcoming session below:
- BILL TOPIC: "School District Uniform Total Program Mill Levy"
- BILL TOPIC: "School District Mill Levy Equalization"
- 2019 Interim Committee on School Finance Colorado General Assembly website for 2019 session. Includes links to committee documents, committee schedule and meeting materials, and committee members.
- THIRD MEETING: September 12, 2019
- Meeting Agenda
- EdBuild- Categorical Program Funding in Colorado
- EdBuild- Funding for English Language Learners
- EdBuild- Funding for Students with Disabilities
- CSFP- What is the budget stabilization factor? And how does it impact school districts?
- EdBuild- Overview of Possible Special Education Funding Scenarios
- Links to EdBuild's Supplemental Charts
- Special Education Fiscal Advisory Committee Report (SEFAC annual report)
- THIRD MEETING: September 12, 2019
Proposition CC (a "de-brucing" measure):
- HB19-1257 refers a question to the voters on whether or not the state can keep additional tax dollars for education and transportation investments. (Click here for HB19-1257's Fiscal Note.)
- HB19-1258 is a companion bill to HB19-1257. It specifies how revenue retained would be allocated. (Click here for HB19-1258's Fiscal Note.)
- Battle lines drawn around Tax Payers Bill of Rights as formal opposition to Proposition CC announced- Complete Colorado- Page Two, June 12, 2019
- Colorado voters leaning toward approving the elimination of state spending caps under TABOR, poll finds- Colorado Sun, August 14, 2019
- Now we know how much money is at stake on the 2019 ballot with Proposition CC and Tabor refunds in Colorado- Colorado Sun, September 20, 2019
Colorado's Legislative Council Map of the Budget Stabilization Factor's impact on per-pupil funding in Colorado school districts FY 2018-19
September What We're Reading:
- Our Voice: Four-day school weeks interesting conversation to have- AdberdeenNews.com, September 28, 2019
- Why colleges are struggling to graduate more teachers- EducationDive, September 18, 2019
- School Safety Performance Audit- September 2019
- State Auditor Highlights from School Safety Audit- September 2019
- Colorado now has more school districts on four-day weeks than any place in the nation- with little research on the benefits- The Colorado Sun, August 27, 2019
2019 Interim School Finance Committee:
- 2019 Interim Committee on School Finance Colorado General Assembly website for 2019 session. Includes links to committee documents, committee schedule and meeting materials, and committee members.
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- SECOND MEETING: August 19, 2019
- Agenda
- EdBuild At-Risk report
- EdBuild Cost-of-Living report
- EdBuild Size Factor report
- FIRST MEETING, June 25, 2019 materials
- SECOND MEETING: August 19, 2019
- 2019 Interim School Finance Committee meeting dates are as follows (and are subject to change):
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- September 12
- October 21
- December 10
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Proposition CC (a "de-brucing" measure):
- HB19-1257 refers a question to the voters on whether or not the state can keep additional tax dollars for education and transportation investments. (Click here for HB19-1257's Fiscal Note.)
- HB19-1258 is a companion bill to HB19-1257. It specifies how revenue retained would be allocated. (Click here for HB19-1258's Fiscal Note.)
- Battle lines drawn around Tax Payers Bill of Rights as formal opposition to Proposition CC announced- Complete Colorado- Page Two, June 12, 2019
Colorado's Legislative Council Map of the Budget Stabilization Factor's impact on per-pupil funding in Colorado school districts FY 2018-19
August What We're Reading:
- Colorado made kindergarten a priority. But when it comes to four-day schools weeks, lawmakers don't see a problem.- The Colorado Sun, August 29, 2019
- In mostly rural Colorado, the four-day week has taken hold. But what do communities do with "Fifth Day"?- The Colroado Sun, August 28, 2019
- Colorado now has more school districts on four-day weeks than any place in the nation- with little research on the benefits- The Colorado Sun, August 27, 2019
- Colorado leads the nation in four day school weeks, but are they right for everyone?- TheDenverChannel.com, August 19, 2019
- Colorado voters leaning toward approving the elimination of state spending caps under TABOR, poll finds- The Colorado Sun, August 14, 2019
- 4 new studies bolster the case: More money for schools helps low income students- Chalkbeat, August 13, 2019
Creede PowerPoint Presentation- Colorado School Finance Project, July 27, 2019
Colorado Association of School Executives (CASE) Conference PowerPoint presentation- Breckenridge, July 26, 2019
2019 Interim School Finance Committee:
- 2019 Interim Committee on School Finance Colorado General Assembly website for 2019 session. Includes links to committee documents, committee schedule and meeting materials, and committee members.
- FIRST MEETING: June 25, 2019
- Meeting Agenda
- Colorado's School Funding Formula Presentation- Office of Legislative Legal Services
- School Finance Revenues in Colorado- Joint Budget Committee (JBC) Staff
- Staff Budget Briefing FY 2019-20 Department of Education- JBC Working Document
- 2018 report from the Legislative Interim Committee on School Finance.
- School Finance Act (SB19-246) Fiscal Note
- FIRST MEETING: June 25, 2019
- 2019 Interim School Finance Committee meeting dates are as follows (and are subject to change):
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- August 19
- September 12
- October 21
- December 10
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Learn more about Colorado school finance in our Colorado School Finance Project Briefing Documents:
- Colorado’s Constitutional Impacts from: Gallagher, TABOR, Amendment 23, and the Negative/Budget Stabilization Factor
- Colorado Legislative History of Mill Levy Overrides
- Financial Pressures
- How are School Districts Funded
- Marijuana Excise Tax and Building Excellent Schools Today (BEST)
- School Board Responsibilities and Budget Timeline
- Timing of School Finance
- Why Resources Matter
July What We’re Reading:
– These 17 School Districts Borders Highlight Colorado’s Byzantine Funding Scheme– Colorado Public Radio, July 25, 2019
– What PERA’s bad year means for public workers, retirees and taxpayers in Colorado, explained in Charts– The Colorado Sun, July 9, 2019
– Low pay. Cuts to PERA. For some state workers in Colorado, it’s like the recession never ended– The Colorado Sun, July 8, 2019
Education Week Per Pupil Spending Comparison- this chart compares state per pupil spending to the U.S. average per pupil spending (previously this data was CSFP's Quality Counts comparison)
June 2019 Economic Forecast
- Colorado Legislative Council Staff
- Governor's Office of State Planning & Budget - June 2019
- Colorado Economic Outlook - Economic and Fiscal Revenue - June 2019
Colorado Supreme Court Ruling on TABOR full repeal - Colorado's Supreme Court opinion states that full repeal of TABOR meets single-subject ballot requirement.
2019 Interim School Finance Committee:
- 2019 Interim Committee on School Finance Colorado General Assembly website for 2019 session. Includes links to committee documents, committee schedule and meeting materials, and committee members.
- FIRST MEETING: June 25, 2019
- Meeting Agenda
- Colorado's School Funding Formula Presentation- Office of Legislative Legal Services
- School Finance Revenues in Colorado- Joint Budget Committee (JBC) Staff
- Staff Budget Briefing FY 2019-20 Department of Education- JBC Working Document
- 2018 report from the Legislative Interim Committee on School Finance.
- School Finance Act (SB19-246) Fiscal Note
- FIRST MEETING: June 25, 2019
- 2019 Interim School Finance Committee meeting dates are as follows (and are subject to change):
- August 19
- September 12
- October 21
- December 10
Proposition CC (a “de-brucing” measure):
- HB19-1257 refers a question to the voters on whether or not the state can keep additional tax dollars for education and transportation investments. (Click here for HB19-1257’s Fiscal Note.)
- HB19-1258 is a companion bill to HB19-1257. It specifies how revenue retained would be allocated. (Click here for HB19-1258’s Fiscal Note.)
- Battle lines drawn around Tax Payers Bill of Rights as formal opposition to Proposition CC announced– Complete Colorado- Page Two, June 12, 2019
Eleven Years of Colorado K-12 School Funding Cuts 2009-10 to 2019-20 (PDF) by county, district (inclusive of mid-year cuts, state budget stabilization, negative factor, and budget stabilization factor) – as of May 2019. Total lost revenue: $8,129,000,000 ($8.1B). During the 2017 Legislative Session, the Legislature renamed the Negative Factor to the Budget Stabilization Factor.
June What We're Reading:
- Colorado lawmakers are trying again to unravel a complicated school finance knot- Chalkbeat, June 26, 2019
- Kindergarten Guidance- Colorado Department of Education
Rural Districts FY2019-20 Funding Distributions per SB19-246– Colorado Department of Education
Colorado Per Pupil Spending Continues to Fall Further from the U.S. Average - U.S. Census data. In fiscal year 2016-17, Colorado's per pupil spending is now more than $2,300 dollars below the U.S. Average. Colorado now ranks 40th, down from 39th last year, in per pupil spending.
CSFP's May Advisory Committee Meeting
- There’s Something Happening Here- Carol Hedges, Colorado Fiscal Institute
- A session that had everything: Where did education fit in?- Todd Engdahl, Capitol Editorial Services
- Education Wrap-up- Todd Engdahl, Capitol Editorial Services
- BEST PowerPoint Presentation- Brett Johnson, Aurora Public Schools
2018-19 Legislative Wrap-up for Education Funding- List of school finance bills allows you to see current status of bills, link to the bill itself, and link to the fiscal note for the bill.
What we are reading (May 2019):
Roaring Fork teachers find pay raise in district budget- Post Independent, May 23, 2019
Montezuma-Cortez schools approve tax increase: November ballot issue would help increase teacher salaries- The Journal, May 23, 2019
RE-1 Valley teacher base pay to increase to $33K next year: Board Approves MOU with staff, publishing budget for community review- Sterling Journal-Advocate, May 21, 2019
Largest Annual Increase in Public School Spending Since 2008- US Census Bureau, May 21, 2019
Polis signs full-day kindergarten bill into law- Chalkbeat, May 21, 2019
SVSSD teachers to receive average 7.6% raise under tentative agreement: School board to vote on new contract Wednesday-Longmont Times-Call, May 20, 2019
School district and teachers reach agreement: Salary increases to be implemented next year- Crested Butte News, May 15, 2019
Thompson approves 10 percent salary increase- Loveland Reporter Hearld, May 15, 2019
Perry Preschool study shows early ed benefits extend to participa
Perry Preschool study shows early ed benefits extend to participants' children, siblings- EducationDive, May 14, 2019
4 bills that could affect Greeley and Widsor schools this year- Greeley Tribune, May 10, 2019
Vail Valley schools to add more cops, counselors: State, local funding increases slightly, but so will costs, district officials say- Vail Daily, May 10, 2019
PSD employees cross fingers for cost-of-living raise, question whether it will be enough- Coloradoan, May 8, 2019
Plan For Full-Day Kindergarten In Colorado Awaits Governor’s Signature– Colorado Public Radio, May 1, 2019
The teacher weekly wage penalty hit 21.4 percent in 2018. a record high- Economic Policy Institute, Center on Wage & Employment Dynamics, April 24, 2019
Colorado Per Pupil Spending Continues to Fall Further from the U.S. Average – U.S. Census data. Fiscal year 2015-16, Colorado’s per pupil spending remains more than $2,100 dollars below the U.S. Average. Ten years prior, Colorado was about $1,600 below the U.S. Average.
Revised Fiscal Note for SB19-246– 4/29/2019
CSFP's April Advisory Committee Meeting
- HB19-1333 Discussion:
- Tobacco Tax Referred Measure- Governor's Office Presentation
- Support HB19-1333- Children's Hospital Colorado and Healthier Colorado
FY 2019-20 School District Budget Concerns - April 2019 - CSFP asked school districts across the state about their budget discussions for 2019-20. We asked how districts planned to use additional funds, what are additional costs you are incurring, and what are you unable to fund with any additional comments.
State, District and Federal Share of Categorical Funding for FY 2016-17. In FY2016-17, Colorado's school districts total expenditures for Categoricals was about $1.6 billion. The state funded about 31%. The district share of total expenditures for Categoricals was about 68%, about $1.1 billion.
Impact of Final Residential Assessment Rate Study on Local Share, Legislative Council Staff - April 12, 2019
CSFP Advisory Committee Meeting - West Slope - April 2019
Conference Committees: A Quick Review of the Options, Julie Pelegrin (originally posted March 29, 2018, updated: April 5, 2019, Colorado LegiSource
The Colorado School Finance Project updated trends in Colorado’s special student populations, April 2019. The individual population information is posted on our Student Trends page. Links to the individual information follow:
- Students receiving Special Education services
- Students learning English
- Students who qualify for Free or Reduced Lunch (proxy for poverty)
- Students receiving Gifted and Talented services
- Students identified as Homeless
What we're reading (April 2019):
- Schools in Southwest Colorado see changes driven by Columbine- 4/20/19, Durango Hearld
- Districts in Debt: How rising teacher pension costs hurt school districts, States try to rescue pension systems from bankruptcy, leaving less money for classrooms and teacher pay, The Hechinger Report, April 22, 2019
- No Colorado School districts meet federal safety standards for behavioral health staffing, investigation shows, The Colorado Sun, April 12, 2019
- What Does It Take to Get a Teacher Interested in Rural Schools? A Field Trip, Jenny Brundin, Colorado Public Radio (CPR), April 10, 2019
- More Education Studies Look at Cost-Effectiveness, Sarah D. Parks, Education Week, April 9, 2019
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What's more important to a superintendent: a math program shown to give a bigger boost to students' math skills in the next two years or one that gives a smaller improvement but fits the district's budget for five years?
Questions like that have become steadily more common as school leaders grapple with years of shrinking budgets. Still, it can be difficult to understand the expenses that lie beneath an intervention's sticker price or the resources that may mean the difference between a promising intervention working on paper and working in the classroom.
- Coloradans were set to get a property tax cut. Governor Polis is mulling a workaround to stop it, The Colorado Sun, April 9, 2019
CSFP's March Advisory Committee Meeting
- March 2019 Economic & Revenue Forecast - Kate Watkins, Colorado Legislative Council Staff
- Q & A on Uniform Statewide School Mill Levy - Ken Delay, Colorado Association of School Boards (CASB)
School Finance Act of 1994 - Overivew of the goals set forth by the legislature and where we are today. March 2019
- Goals of the 94 Act. What did the system fund?
- Where are we today in meeting the 1994 School Finance Goals? Today's Education System
March 2019 Forecast - presentations to JBC:
- Colorado Legislative Council staff
- Office of State Planning and Budget
The Colorado School Finance Project (CSFP) created several reports about Colorado’s School District Tax Effort and Fiscal Capacity for 2018-19. It is important to note that school districts have no control over what 1 mill can raise. March 2019
- Tax Effort and Fiscal Capacity 2018-19 including an overall summary and detail by school district
- Tax Effort and Fiscal Capacity 2018-19 Summary (portrait mode)
- Tax Effort and Fiscal Capacity 2018-19 Summary (landscape mode)
- Tax Effort and Fiscal Capacity 2018-19 by Assessed Value and type of Mill – includes pie chart and detail by school district
- Total Assessed Value 2018-19
- Assessed Value per Pupil 2018-19
- Total Program Mills 2018-19 - (mills each district levies as part of the school finance act)
- Mill Levy Overrides 2018-19 - (voter approved)
- Bond Redemption Mills 2018-19 - (voter approved)
A Tale of Two Amendments: The Property Tax Dilema - March 7, 2019 - ColoLegisource. Colorado LegiSource - An informal and educational resource for the Colorado General Assembly by the Office of Legislative Legal Services.
What we're reading:
- A suprising number of school districts have switched to a four-day week - Market Watch, March 2019
- What we're reading: Five Facts to Know About Class Size Research - NEPC - National Education Policy Center, March 2019
- Colorado Rural Teacher Shortage - Teachers living in campers: How rural Colorado districts are coping with grwogin teacher shortage - The Colorado Sun, 3/7/2019
- In a booming state, public schools grapple with asbestos, leaks and four-day weeks, The Washington Post, 3/7/2019
CSFP's February Advisory Committee Meeting
- Update from Governor's Office: Lauren Larsen, Executive Director, OSPB and Allie Kimmell, Governor's Office, Policy Adivsory
- FY 2019-20 Governor Polis' Budget Letter - January 15, 2019
- FY 2019-20 Hickenlooper to Polis Budget
- 2020 Fiscal Vision - Colorado Fiscal Institute, Carol Hedges
- Mill Levies: Craig Harper, JBC Staff, Chief Legislative Analyst (Education, School Finance)
What We're Reading: The Denver teacher strike is over. Now lawmakers are trying to solve Colorado's chronic education funding problem, The Colorado Sun, 2/15/2019
CSFP presentation to the Public Education and Business Coaltion (PEBC) on Gallagher and TABOR, February 13, 2019.
From Colorado Legislative Council Staff - February 12, 2019:
- School Finance - Potential Uniform Mill Scenario - Districts levy 27 mills or the number at which they are fully locally funded. This analysis assumes full implementation in FY 2019-20. Uniform Mill Proposal FY 2019-20 - School Finance Funding Comparison with Current Law - FY 2019-20 with and without Mill Levy Equaliztion (27 or fully funded) - Full Implementation First Year.
Report on the State Education Fund - February 1, 2019 - Colorado Legislative Council Staff
Presentation at 2019 CASE Winter Leadership Conference: Colorado's Hidden Treasure, School Land Trust for Colorado's Public Schools - 2019 by Advocates for School Trust Lands, February 2019.
The Colorado School Finance Project’s (CSFP) created several reports about Colorado’s School District Tax Effort and Fiscal Capacity for 2017-18. It is important to note that school districts have no control over what 1 mill can raise.
- Tax Effort and Fiscal Capacity 2017-18 including an overall summary and detail by school district
- Tax Effort and Fiscal Capacity 2017-18 by Assessed Value and type of Mill – includes pie chart and detail by school district
- Assessed Value
- Assessed Value per Pupil
- Total Program Mills - (mills each district levies as part of the school finance act)
- Mill Levy Overrides - (voter approved)
- Bond Redemption Mills - (voter approved)
- This list of District Tax Effort and Fiscal Capacity with links
CSFP Presentation at 2019 CASE Winter Leadership Conference, All The Moving Pieces, February 2019.
CSFP presentation to League of Women Voters, DPS, February 2019.
Summary of Potential JBC Bills as of January 31, 2019 - Memorandum from John Ziegler, JBC Director
CSFP Presentation to League of Women Voters, Chaffee County: Why Money Matters, January 2019.
Supplemental Budget Requests FY2018-19, Department of Education, January 2019 - JBC staff document - subject to change.
2018 State Profile Data: Our annual profile information depicts changes in K-12 funding and counts (comparing the base year of 1992-93 to 2011-12 to 2015-16 to 2016-17). Data is audited so lags behind current information.
- 2018 State Profile Overview: 1 page overview of areas of concern for K-12
- 2018 Overview Charts & Highlights: 2 page document with highlights and charts.
- CSFP 2018 State Profile Data: About the 4 tables and Notes
- Table 1: Enrollment, Special Education, Free and Reduced Lunch, English language learners (ELL), Instances of Mobility, and Gifted Students
- Table 2: Number of Teachers, Teachers per 1,000 students, Average Salary (comparing CO and National)
- Table 3: Per Student Current Spending and Revenues
- Table 4: Relationship between State/Local Revenue for K-12 Public Education and Personal Income
- Notes and Terms: Footnotes for all tables are located on this page.
CSFP presentation to the Joint Education Committees on school finance- January 23, 2019
CSFP January Advisory Committee Meeting
- Building Excellent Schools Today (BEST) Update presentation by Capital Construction Assistant Board: Tim Reed, Board Chair & Executive Director for Facilities for Capital Management, Jeffco Public Schools and Kathleen Gebhardt, Board Vice-Chair.
A recent National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) report, using U.S. Census data, indicates Colorado's 4-year Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR) for 2015-16 is below the U.S. Average in all categories. The CSFP created a chart illustrating the graduation gaps between Colorado and the U.S. average.
What we're reading:
- Education Week: The School Improvement Gains Nobody's Talking About, Commentary - December 17, 2018
- Denver Post: Colorado legislators plan to overhaul education funding system critics say disproportionately benefits wealthy districts. High-income areas with low poverty rates would replace state education aid by raising property taxes under bipartisan plan. January 6, 2019
- Denver Post: Where's all that marijuana money? - Three part series:
- Where's all that marijuana money? State's pot dollars help schools, but maybe not as much as you think. Part 1 of 3.
- Video: Where has all the Marijuana Tax Money gone?
- Colorado communities pocket big bucks from legal marijuana, but threats loom for some. Part 2 of 3.
Historical information is available on our Historial Info page, by calendar year.