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 policy makers.
District Election Preliminary Results – 11/17/2018, 8:30 AM
District election information is subject to change as new information becomes available. Be sure to “refresh” your device to view the most recent update.
Governor’s FY 2019-20 November 1, 2018 Budget Request
In early October, CSFP asked Superintendents, CFOs/Budget Managers and BOCES Directors what they are experiencing in teacher recruitment / retention issues. We received responses from over 70 districts and BOCES across the state. Following are some of their responses by school district region or BOCES.
- North Central School Districts
- Northeast and Southeast School Districts
- Northwest School Districts
- Metro and Pikes Peak School Districts
- Southwest School Districts
- West Central School Districts
- BOCES
Additional information on Teacher Shortage, Supply, Retention
CSFP map of Colorado School Districts on 4-day weeks for 2018-19 School Year. 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.
- 104 (58%) of Colorado’s school districts are on 4-day weeks
- 91 Districts – All schools on 4-day weeks
- 13 Districts – 1 or some schools on 4-day weeks
- Colorado Charter School Institute – some schools on 4-day weeks
- 1 BOCES on 4-day week
District Election Preliminary Results - 11/17/2018, 8:30 AM Subject to change as new information becomes available. Be sure to "refresh" your device to view the most recent update.
Amendment 73 Impact Calculator
- Colorado Ballot Information Booklet - 2018 Blue Book - Colorado Legislative Council Staff
- Text of Amendment 73 is Unambiguously Limited to School District Taxes - infographic
- Legal opinion refuting claims Amendment 73 would alter assessment rates for non-school taxing entities
- In support:
- Grand Junction Sentinel: Vote yes on 73
- Craig Daily Press: Our kids are worth it
- Aurora Sentinel: Don't fall for false arguments against Amendment 73 - it's a fair, realistic way to fund needy schools
- The Coloradoan: Approve Amendment 73 with a watchful eye on local school spending
- Colorado Secretary of State website page: 2017-18 Initiative Filings, Agendas & Results
DRAFT of 2018 School District Elections - information is subject to change as more current information becomes available. Elections: Bond, BEST, Mill Levy Override (MLO), Operational Mill Levy, Full Day Kindergarten MLO, Transportation MLO, Sales Tax. Information posted as of 10/31/2018.
In early October, CSFP asked Superintendents, CFOs/Budget Managers and BOCES Directors what they are experiencing in teacher recruitment / retention issues. We received responses from over 70 districts and BOCES across the state. Following are some of their responses by school district region or BOCES.
- North Central School Districts
- Northeast and Southeast School Districts
- Northwest School Districts
- Metro and Pikes Peak School Districts
- Southwest School Districts
- West Central School Districts
- BOCES
Additional information on Teacher Shortage, Supply, Retention
CSFP Advisory Committee Meeting - Western Slope presentation
The Colorado Sun: Colorado is near the bottom of states in school funding. That's why there are nearly 40 bond and mill levy override questions on ballots this fall.
Summary Report to Legislative Council - Gallagher Interim Committee 2018, Bill A, Bill B, Bill C - October 2018
Colorado Ballot Information Booklet - 2018 Blue Book - Colorado Legislative Council Staff
- Legislative Council Staff Blue Book Press Release 10-11-2018
- Notice of Correction in Amendment 73 Ballot Analysis
Responses by Superintendents and CFO/Budget Managers to CSFP's query about Teacher Retention and Recruitment Concerns in their district: Colorado School District Teacher Recruitment Retention - first email 10/11/2018 - more will be added over the month of October. We have received responses from over 60 of Colorado's 178 districts.
CSFP map of Colorado School Districts on 4-day weeks for 2018-19 School Year. 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.
- 104 (58%) of Colorado's school districts are on 4-day weeks
- 91 Districts - All schools on 4-day weeks
- 13 Districts - 1 or some schools on 4-day weeks
- Colorado Charter School Institute - some schools on 4-day weeks
- 1 BOCES on 4-day week
CSFP Advisory Committee
- Initial Considerations for School Funding Models - Senator Zenzinger, Workbook presented to the Legislative Interim Committee on School Finance - September 17, 2018 Workshop
- K-12 Education Budget Outlook: Kate M. Watkins, Chief Economist, Legislative Council Staff
- Alternatives to Gallagher Amendment Interim Study Committee
- Bill 1 - Repeal Gallagher
- Bill 2 - Property Tax Classification Short-term Rental Units
- Bill 3 - Property Tax Residential Assessment Rate
- Bill 4 - Backfill Property Tax Loss to Fire Protection District
- Bill 5 - Backfill Property Tax Loss to Library District
- Bill 6 - pulled
- Bill 7 - Regional Residential Assessment Rates for Property Tax
- Bill 8 - Backfill Property Tax Loss to Certain Special District
- Gallagher Amendment Proposal Considerations - Legislative Council
- Field Update
Summer / Fall 2018: Challenge to the constitutionality of the transportation section (Section 7) of HB18-1306 by CASE/CASB and several school districts.
CASE Press Release
Governor Hickenlooper's letter to the Members of the Colorado House of Representation - June 1 2018
The Bill and Fiscal Note
HB18-1306 - Concerning Ensuring Educational Stability for Students in Out-of-Home Placement
HB18-1306 - Fiscal Note
Colorado Ballot Information Booklet - 2018 Blue Book - Colorado Legislative Council
September 2018 Forecast
- Legislative Council
- Office of State Planning & Budget
School Finance Interim Committee - September 17, 2018 Workshop
- September 17, 2018 (Workshop) note: recordings are not available for workshops
Alternatives to the Gallagher Amendment Interim Study Committee - Proposed Legislation
- Bill 1 - Repeal Gallagher
- Bill 2 - Property Tax Classification Short-term Rental Units
- Bill 3 - Property Tax Residential Assessment Rate
- Bill 4 - Backfill Property Tax Loss to Fire Protection District
- Bill 5 - Backfill Property Tax Loss to Library District
- Bill 6 - pulled
- Bill 7 - Regional Residential Assessment Rates for Property Tax
- Bill 8 - Backfill Property Tax Loss to Certain Special District
DRAFT of 2018 School District Elections - information is subject to change as more current information becomes available. Elections: Bond, BEST, Mill Levy Override (MLO), Operational Mill Levy, Full Day Kindergarten MLO, Transportation MLO, Sales Tax. Information posted as of 10/1/2018, 3:30 PM Update.
Colorado's Legislative History of Mill Levy Overrides from 1988 - 2018
High Achieving States Across 6 Benchmarks: Summary of academic rankings of the top 10 states incorporating 6 benchmarks sourced from a variety of sources: ALEC (American Legislative Exchange Council), McKinsey/US News - Best States, and EdWeek, Quality Counts.
CASE DBO Presentation: School Finance: Now What? Amendment 73
July 13, 2018 Gallagher Interim Committee Meeting - CSFP Interim Committee information is available on CSFP's Interim Committee page.
- October 3, 2018
- August 21, 2018
- July 18, 2018
- Agenda July 13, 2018
- Presentations:
- Colorado Assessors' Association
- JBC: Property Tax, School Finance, and the Gallagher Amendment
- Pueblo City-County Library
- Department of Local Affairs
June 2018 Forecast
- Colorado Legislative Council Staff
- Governor's Office of State Planning & Budget - June 2018
CSFP was asked to provide additional detail regarding the individual district impact of Great Schools Thriving Communities (GSTC):
- Comparison of Current School Finance Act and Great Schools Thriving Communities
- Modeling Narrative
- Districts Mills Needed to Raise GSTC Amounts
Quality Counts 2018 (2015 audited data) - CSFP 2-page document containing the following charts:
- Chart on Colorado and the United States Per Pupil Expenditures - above / below the U.S. Average
- Percent of Students in Districts with Per Pupil Expenditures At or Above the U.S. Average
A Decade of Colorado K-12 School Funding Cuts 2018-19 to 2009-10 (PDF) by county, district (inclusive of mid-year cuts, state budget stabilization, negative factor, and budget stabilization factor). Total lost revenue: $7,300,000,000 ($7.3B). During the 2017 Legislative Session the Legislature renamed the Negative Factor to the Budget Stabilization Factor.
UPDATE: CSFP's Colorado School Finance & Education Reform Timeline 2018-19 thru 1992
CSFP presentation to Western Slope Advisory Committee, April 19, 2018
CSFP presentation to Colorado Association of School Business Officials (CASBO) - April 6, 2018
Updates on Colorado's PK-12 Special Student Population Trends for 2017-18:
- Free and Reduced Lunch 2017-18, Data Source: CDE
- GT Students Served and Program Funding, Data source: CDE and JBC Education Budget Briefing, December 2017.
- Students receiving Special Education services (2015-16): local, federal, state funding: CDE and JBC Education Budget Briefing, December 2017. (April 2018)
- IDEA: Percent of children served, Data Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
- Percent of Children Served: IDEA 2015-16 (2017 data), portrait
- Percent of Children Served: IDEA 2015-16 (2017 data), landscape
Colorado's Homeless Student Count 2005-2017. Data Source: CDE Instructional Program Count.
CSFP March Advisory Committee Meeting
- PERA
- State Budget Outlook - Legislative Council Staff, Kate Watkins
In early March CSFP asked all 178 school district Superintendents and CFOs "What would you do with a $100M buydown of the Budget Stabilization Factor?" (formerly the Negative Factor). CSFP posted responses on social media beginning Monday, March 5, 2018. All posts are available here, updated with the most recent posts. Updated as of Tuesday, March 27, 2018 (day 14 of posting).
From Legislative Council's School Finance in Colorado booklet April 2017:
- What is the Negative Factor? for FY 2016-17, pg 12. Adjustments range from $750 to just under $2,000.
- Map of the Negative Factor per Pupil Funding Decrease, FY 2016-17 (jpeg)
- Legislative Council's School Finance in Colorado booklet, April 2017
CSFP Advisory Committee Meeting
- Superintendents' Modernized School Finance Formula
- Implications of the Federal Tax Changes on Colorado: Chris Stiffler / Esther Turcios, Colorado Fiscal Institute
CSFP Advisory Committee Meeting - Western Slope
- CSFP Western Slope Presentation
- Colorado Superintendents' Modernized School Finance Formula
- Informational - Great Schools, Thriving Communities
CASE Nuts & Bolts - Pre-CASE Conference - January 31, 2018 - CSFP Presentation
CSFP Advisory Committee Meeting:
- Taxpayer Equity and the Uniform Total Program Mill Levy Program - Craig Harper, JBC Staff
- Citizens Initiatives 2018
- Great Education Colorado Action Summit 2018 information
- Representative Dave Young
- Modern School Finance Formula
- Creating a Modern School Finance Formula - unrevised draft
- Colorado Superintendents' Proposed Formula to Modernize School Funding - December 2017
- Student-Centered Pilot Accountability Systems
- Modern School Finance Formula
From the Denver Post: Douglas County school voucher program now officially dead after case dismissed by Supreme Court, officials say... January 27, 2018
CSFP Comparison of Pupil to Teacher Ratio in the United States - NCES 2015-16 data (audited data lags current information). Colorado ranks 41st highest - larger class sizes.
CSFP Presentation in Telluride - Colorado School Funding
CSFP Testimony at January School Finance Interim Committee Meeting
Historical information is available on our Historial Info page, by calendar year.