• Colorado School Finance Project

Welcome

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.

March 2019 Forecast – presentations to JBC:

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

A Tale of Two Amendments: The Property Tax Dilema – March 7, 2019 – ColoLegisource (ColoLegisource is an informal and educational resource for the Colorado General Assembly by the Office of Legislative Legal Services.)

CSFP Advisory Committee Meeting – February 2019

What We’re Reading This Month:

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

Recent CSFP presentations:

From Colorado Legislative Council Staff 

  • 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. 2/12/2019
  • Report on the State Education Fund – February 1, 2019 – Colorado Legislative Council Staff

 

What We’re Reading – links to school finance related articles

MARCH 2019

March 2019 Forecast - presentations to JBC:

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

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:

FEBRUARY 2019

CSFP February 2019 Advisory Committee Meeting

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.

CSFP Presentation at 2019 CASE Winter Leadership Conference, All The Moving Pieces, February 2019.

CSFP presentation to League of Women Voters, DPS, February 2019.

JANUARY 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 2019 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:

DECEMBER 2018

December 2018 Forecast

What we're reading:

The State of Education, developed by the Education Leadership Council, December 2018, version 4.0. From the document: This document represents 18 months of effort from Coloradans across the state, led by the Education Leadership Council (ELC). The ELC was formed in June 2017 to create a vision and strategic plan for the education system, spanning from a person’s early childhood into the workforce.

School Finance Interim Committee Meeting 12/11/2018 proposed bill. Additional information on Interim Committees is here.  Click on tab: 2018 Interim Committee on School Finance (HB17-1340) for additional information.

CASB Convention: CSFP presentation - School Finance: What's Next?

Joint Budget Committee: Education Briefing Documents for FY 2019-20

CSFP School Finance and Education Reform Timeline - December 2018 Update

NOVEMBER 2018

School District Election Results for 2018: Bond, BEST, Mill Levy Override (MLO), Sales Tax

 

Legislative and District Sample Budget Timeline - 2018-19 District Budget

 

2018 Elections - What do they Mean for Fiscal Policy? - presentation by Carol Hedges, Colorado Fiscal Institute at the November 2018 CSFP Advisory Committee meeting.

 

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

 

Governor's FY 2019-20 November 1, 2018 Budget Request

OCTOBER 2018

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.

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

 

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, (updated December 2018).  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
SEPTEMBER 2018

CSFP Advisory Committee

 

Statuory Process for Reorganizing School District Boundaries:

 

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

 

School Finance Interim Committee - September 17, 2018 Workshop

 

Alternatives to the Gallagher Amendment Interim Study Committee - Proposed Legislation

 

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

AUGUST 2018

CSFP presentation to the Public Education Business Coalition (PEBC)

 

JULY 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

Historical information is available on our Historial Info page, by calendar year.