Historical Info

CSFP maintains several different types of historical information:

Below are the archival reports and documents posted on our Home page beginning in 2005

2022

December

November

CSFP to East Grand District 2 Presentation - November 1, 2022 Governor Polis's 23-24 Budget Request - November 1, 2022 Below are some highlights from the Governor’s press release pertaining to education and the rest of the state budget: 1. Funding will increase to $861 per pupil- assumes inflation at 8.3% 2. $35M buydown of the BS Factor to keep the BS Factor 3% of what is spent on K-12 Education 3. $325M in Prop EE invested in Universal Pre-K (this increases funding by $10M) 4. $6M to I-Matter program for student counseling 5. Increase funding of $29M to special education services 6. School safety investments of $8.4M 7. $1M Turnaround grants 8. $7M to CSI for Mill Levy Override Match Governor's Budget Proposal 2023-24 links • Budget Letter 23-24 • Budget Rollout Presentation 23-24 • Budget Navigator 23-24 • K12 Fact Sheet CSFP November Advisory Meeting - November 11, 2022 Recording here. School Finance Update presentation by Marc Carey and Craig Harper. JBC Staff Budget Briefing FY 2023-24 - Department of Education (Programs other than School Finance and Categoricals) - November 21, 2022 Budget Brief Budget Briefing Summary

October

October What We're Reading: "Election 2022: What to know on school districts’ bonds and mill levy overrides" - Anne Delaney, Greeley Tribune, Oct. 15, 2022 "What’s a bond measure? How do mill levy overrides work? We explain." - Yesenia Robles, Chalkbeat, Oct 29, 2022 CSFP "Overview of School Finance" Presentation for Clear Creek Accountability Committee - October 4, 2022 Western Slope Superintendent Conference/CSFP Advisory Meeting presentation - October 17, 2022 CSFP October Advisory Meeting - October 21, 2022 "Property Tax Reform Ideas for Colorado" Presentation from The Lincoln Institute "ESSER Update" Presentation  CSFP at CASB Fall Conference Presentation - October 21, 2022 CSFP at the Southern Superintendents Conference presentation - October 27, 2022

September

Colorado School Finance Project Conference:  Investment in Action - September 21, 2022 September Economic and Revenue Forecast - September 22, 2022 The Colorado Department of Early Childhood Public Rulemaking Hearing-  September 29, 2022  Materials here. September What We're Reading

"COVID relief money helps Colorado schools pay for math and reading curriculum" - Ann Schimke, Chalkbeat, Sept 21, 2022

August

Legislative Interim Committee on School Finance - August 16, 2022 • Interim School Finance Presentation • Funding for District Cost of Living • Cost of Living State Comparison • 2021 Cost of Living Memo • SB22-202 Fiscal Note • HB22-1390 Year Comparison by District • Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement

Rural Schools Distributions per HB20‐1427 - August 22, 2022

CSFP Staffing Survey Results - August 23, 2022 The Colorado School Finance Project sent out a survey to school districts asking for more information on unfilled positions. We want to thank the districts who responded to the survey. This information is invaluable as there have been many stories in the media about teacher and staffing shortages across the nation and Colorado. These are the results from the survey showing that districts are struggling to hire staff for this school year. In these results, we have also included information from a recent study on national teacher wages.

CSFP School Finance Discussion with DBO - August 29, 2022

Legislative Interim Committee on School Finance - August 30, 2022

• ESSER COVID Recovery Funding for Education Update from CDE

• Preliminary List of State Grant Programs

• 2022-23 BEST Applications & Approved Projects

August What We're Reading: - "What it takes to put a measure on the ballot" - Max Lubbers, CPR —  August 5, 2022 - "A ‘National Teacher Shortage’? New Research Reveals Vastly Different Realities Between States & Regions" - Marianna McMurdock, The 74 — August 17, 2022 - "Colorado teachers earn 36% less than other college-educated workers, the worst gap in the country" - Erica Breunlin, Colorado Sun — August 22, 2022 (references This Report by Economic Policy Institute)

July

CSFP at BOCES Conference - "Building Trust While Meeting ESSER Requirements – Help Is Here" Presentation - July 11, 2022 CASE Conference Presentations - July 2022 ESSER World Cafe: Time to Share and Learn with Other Districts - July 27, 2022 What Resources Are Available to Help With ESSER Requirements? - July 27, 2022 Technical Assistance on Explaining the Impact of Your ESSER Investments - July 27, 2022 The Whirlwind of School Finance - July 28, 2022

June

CSFP ESSER Grant Presentation at CEA Conference (lunch session) - June 7, 2022 CSFP ESSER Grant Presentation at CEA Conference (afternoon session) - June 7, 2022 CSFP to East Central BOCES: Learning and Transparency Technical Assistance Program Grant - June 1, 2022 June What We're Reading: - Colorado Public Education Opinion Survey Part 2 - June 8, 2022 - "The Interesting Effects 4-Day Weeks May Have on School Climate" - Sarah D. Sparks, Education Week  — June 30, 2022 June 2022 Economic Forecast CSFP School Funding Presentation - June 29, 2022

May

Great Education Board and CSFP: Legislative Re-cap and impacts on: K-12 Funding - May 19, 2022 CASB and CSFP: Legislative Re-cap and impacts on: K-12 Funding - May 18, 2022 May Advisory Meeting (May 13, 2022) - Recording of the meeting Initiative 63 - fact sheet and slides Colorado Department of Labor and Employment - Ryan Gedney Fiscal Impact on potential ballot/legislative measures - Chris Stiffler, CFI Universal Pre-school - funding discussion CSFP Presentation to CASBO — May 5, 2022 May What We're Reading: “Everybody has a second job”: Low pay leaves rural Colorado teachers struggling. Colorado’s teacher salaries are among the lowest in the nation"- Daliah Singer, The Colorado Sun, May 19, 2022 Colorado Public Education Opinion Survey Part 1 - May 26, 2022

April

Snapshot of Impacts on School Finance 2022-23- April 6, 2022 CSFP Presentation to the Cotopaxi School Board — April 27, 2022 April Advisory Meeting (April 22, 2022) - Recording of the meeting Forecast Update- Kate Watkins and Marc Carey Universal Preschool Update Ballot Initiative update CSFP ESSER Grant Presentation FY 22-23 ESSA Preliminary Allocations CSFP Presentation at the Western Slope Advisory Meeting — April 21, 2022 ESSER Presentation at the Western Slope Advisory Meeting — April 21, 2022 ESSER Grant Presentation at the Northern Superintendents Meeting — April 21, 2022 ESSER Grant Presentation at the Southern Superintendents Conference — April 14, 2022 ESSER Grant Presentation at the Colorado BOCES Quarterly Meeting — April 11, 2022 ESSER Grant One-page flyer for School Districts and BOCES Colorado School Finance Project's Impacts on School Finance Bubble Graphic 2022-23- updated on April 14, 2022

March

School Finance memo from Joint Budget Committee Staff- Craig Harper, March 18, 2022 2021-22 Budget Stabilization Factor by School District March 2022 Forecast Legislative Council Staff Economic & Revenue Forecast Report Economic & Revenue Forecast Presentation Consumer Price Index Forecast Governor's Office of State Planning and Budgeting Colorado Economic and Fiscal Outlook Presentation to the Joint Budget Committee The Colorado Outlook: Supplemental Materials March Advisory Meeting - Recording of meeting - CSFP Transparency Grant slides - Early Childhood Education presentation - Bob Palaich, Augenblick, Palaich & Associates - PERA Update slides - Ron Baker, PERA of Colorado CASB Conversations Webinar- School Finance 101, Part 1 [Need to be CASB member to access] SOS School Finance 101 Presentations March 1-2, 2022: - Gunnison School District- school finance background- Tracie Rainey, CSFP - Take Action Slides- Lisa Weil and Cody Ostenson, Great Education Colorado and Great Schools Thriving Communities - 2022 School Funding Ballot Initiative Training information- Lisa Weil and Cody Ostenson, Great Education and Great Schools Thriving Communities March What We're Reading:

February

Colorado Association of School Executives Winter Conference February 2022 - Tips on how to work with your school board- Tracie Rainey, CSFP and Glenn McClain, Platte Valley School District - What Now with School Finance? - Tracie Rainey, CSFP DRAFT 2022-23 Funding Workbook- Based on JBC Recommendations- Colorado Department of Education, February 2022 Presentation to Colorado BOCES Association Winter Quarterly Meeting- February 15, 2022 February CSFP Advisory Meeting - Recording of meeting - School Finance Project 2022- Office of the State Demographer's presentation - Issues in the Design of Early Childhood Systems: Informal Dialogue with CSFP- Bob Palaich - ADA Conversation Starters - How are states funding school districts in the wake of changing enrollments caused by COVID-19? (blog post) - How states count students to determine funding: A call for change (blog post) - Not Making the Grade - Issue Paper: Using Average Daily Attendance as a Basis for Distributing State School Revenue Tax Effort and Fiscal Capacity 2021-22 including an overall summary and detail by school district Tax Effort and Fiscal Capacity 2021-22 Summary Tax Effort and Fiscal Capacity 2021-22 by Assessed Value and type of Mill – includes pie chart and detail by school district Total Assessed Value 2021-22 Assessed Value per Pupil 2021-22 Total Program Mills 2021-22 (mills each district levies as part of the school finance act) Mill Levy Overrides 2021-22 (voter-approved) Percent of Colorado's General Fund Appropriation Allocated to Education 2006 to 2002 chart

January

Legislative Interim Committee on School Finance January 27, 2022 - At-risk Bill Draft Fiscal Note - Special Education Bill Draft Fiscal Note - MLO State Match Bill Draft Fiscal Note - DID NOT VOTE ON and WILL NOT BE MOVING FORWARD - State Land Trust Bill Draft Fiscal Note January 10, 2022 meeting - Colorado At-Risk Study Final Report Presentation- Urban Institute - Bill Drafts: Special Education bill & State Match for Mill Levy Override - School Finance Simulation Tool- Anna Gerstle, Legislative Council Staff - School Finance Update- Craig Harper, JBC Staff January 14, 2022 CSFP Advisory Meeting - Recording of Meeting - CSFP Interim Committee and Legislative Update - Universal Preschool Recommendations Final Report CSFP Presentation to Alamosa School District- January 13, 2022 January What We're Reading: - Colorado's 2022 legislative session began Wednesday. Here's your guide to get involved.- Sandra Fish, The Colorado Sun, January 12, 2022 - Funding, school ratings, workforce: Education issues we're watching in 2022- Jason Gonzales and Erica Meltzer, Chalkbeat, January 7, 2022
2021

December

December 2021 Forecast Legislative Council staff Economic & Revenue Forecast Presentation to the Joint Budget Committee - K-12 Enrollment Forecast (slides 34-39) - Assessed Valuation Forecast (slides 40-45) - School Finance Outlook (slides 46-50) Consumer Price Index Forecast Governor's Office of State Planning and Budgeting (OSPB) Colorado Economic and Fiscal Outlook Presentation to the Joint Budget Committee The Colorado Outlook: Supplemental Materials CSFP State Profile Report- 2021 (2019-20 audited data) 2021 State Profile Overview (1-page overview) 2021 State Profile Charts & Highlights (2 pages) 2021 State Profile Report (7 pages) includes a historical look at: - Enrollment in K-12: Enrollment, Special Education, Free & Reduced Lunch, Emergent Bilinguals (English Language Learners according to CDE), and gifted students - Teachers: Number of teachers, teachers per 1,000 students, average salary (comparing CO and National) - Per Student Current Spending and Revenue - Relationship between state/local revenue for K-12 and personal income Colorado Department of Education presentation to the Joint Budget Committee Questions, Comments, and Slides CASB Annual Convention- December 2-4, 2021 - Colorado K-12 Funding, School Finance- New Board Member Training booklet - Colorado K-12 Funding: New Board Member Orientation presentation - Mill Levy Correction presentation - Tracie Rainey and Glenn Gustafson

November

2021 Certified Election Results- as of 11.29.21 Most Recent Voter Approved Mill Levy Override (MLO) Results- November 2021 November CSFP Advisory Meeting - Video recording of meeting - Nutrition Services presentation- Jessica Gould, Littleton Public Schools - Education Funding sheet with Governor's proposed budget changes ADDITIONAL RESOURCES : - Mill Levy Correction information from CDE CASB Conversations Webinar: What You Need to Know About the Mill Levy Correction August 23, 2021- Tracie Rainey (CSFP), Kate Bartlett (CDE), and Susan Meek (CASB) - Recording - PowerPoint Slides MILL LEVY CORRECTION INFORMATION- Tax Credits and "De-brucing" or "De-TABORing" PEBC Catalyst Presentation- November 12, 2021 Governor's Budget Proposal 2022-23 - FY2022-23 Budget K-12 one-pager - Full proposal - Shortened proposal with attachments - FY2022-23 budget rollout presentations Money Matters: Tell Your Story ESSER funding documents November What We're Reading: - Large 27J district bond passes amid mixed success of school tax measures- Ann Schimke and Melanie Asmar, Chalkbeat, November 3, 2021

October

CSFP Western Slope Advisory Meeting Presentation- October 21, 2021 Budget Stabilization chart 2017 to Present for all School Districts Legislative Interim Committee on School Finance October 19, 2021 - Special Education: Funding Overview- Legislative Council Staff - Overview of Possible Special Education Funding Scenarios- Consortium of Directors of Special Education - 2019-20 Annual Report by the Special Education Fiscal Advisory Committee - Special Education Fiscal Advisory Committee (SEFAC) - CDE Early Childhood Update - Mile High Early Learning: Montessori Inspired- Pamela Harris - Early Milestones Colorado: Ideal Learning in Colorado- Katie Nicolau - Colorado's Missing Year: Assessing Colorado's K-12 Performance in the Wake of COVID- Keystone Policy Center - Wildflower Schools- Rachel Kelley-Cohn October CSFP Advisory Meeting - Video recording of meeting - 10 Key Takeaways from CSFP's Inaugural Conference - Economic & Revenue Forecast Presentation - Kate Watkins, Legislative Council Staff - School Finance Update Presentation- Marc Carey, Legislative Council Staff - Interim Committee Discussions and Mill Levy Correction Presentation- Tracie Rainey, CSFP and Justin Silverstein, APA Consulting Money Matters: Tell Your Story ESSER funding documents Adams 12 Five Star Leadership Academy presentation - October 8, 2021 Thirteen Years of the Budget Stabilization Factor-2009 to 2022 (data for every school district) October What We're Reading:

– How Staff Shortages Are Crushing Schools– Mark Lieberman, Education Week [will need to sign-in for access]

- The latest Nobel Prize winner: Researcher who helped show money matters for schools- Matt Barnum, Chalkbeat, October 13, 2021

September

ELECTIONS PAGE 2021 DRAFT of 2021 School District Elections- Elections: Bond, BEST, Mill Levy Override (MLO), Operational MLO, and Transportation MLO.  Information posted as of 9/29/2021. 2021 State Ballot Information Booklet (the Blue Book)- Legislative Council of the Colorado General Assembly The factors in the Colorado School finance formula: - Dollars available for Colorado school finance formula factors BEFORE and AFTER the Budget Stabilization Factor - A Look at Factor Funding and the Budget Stabilization Factor - School Districts Ranked by Pre-BS Factor Cost of Living as a % of Total Factor Funding September Forecast Legislative Council Staff Economic & Revenue Forecast Economic & Revenue Forecast Presentation Consumer Price Index Forecast Governor's Office of State Planning and Budgeting Colorado Economic and Fiscal Outlook Presentation to the Joint Budget Committee The Colorado Outlook: Supplemental Materials Legislative Interim Committee on School Finance September 17, 2021 - State Land Board funding for K-12 Education- Colorado State Land Board - A National Perspective on Property Tax & School Finance: How Colorado Compares- Lincoln Institute of Land Policy - Mill Levy Overrides 101- Legislative Staff - Property Tax Levy Overrides in Other States- Andrew Reschovsky, University of Wisconsin-Madison - School District Overrides- Daniel Thatcher, NCSL and Michael Griffith, LPI CSFP Inaugural Conference Beaver Run Resort, Breckenridge, Colorado September 15, 2021 - "How Money Matters: Creating, Adequate, Equitable and Sustainable School Funding"- presentation by Danielle Farrie, Education Law Center - "What the NFL taught me about Leadership & Teamwork"- presentation by Reggie Rivers, former Denver Broncos player (PowerPoint presentation download with videos) - Boulder Valley School District ESSER story video- Rob Anderson - East Grand School DIstrict ESSER story video- Frank Reeves - Greeley Evans ESSER story video- Dierdre Pilch - Gunnison Watershed School District story video- Tia Mills - Littleton School District ESSER story video- Jonathan Levesque - Northeast BOCES ESSER story video- Tamara Durbin A Look at Mills in Colorado: - Local Mill Effort by Assessed Valuation Per Pupil UPDATED - Total Mills (including bonds) for all school districts

August

Sheridan School Board Presentation August 24, 2021 CASB Conversations Webinar: What You Need to Know About the Mill Levy Correction August 23, 2021- Tracie Rainey (CSFP), Kate Bartlett (CDE), and Susan Meek (CASB) - Recording - PowerPoint Slides Additional Resources: - Financing Public Schools FY 2021-22 (LCS) - School Finance Booklet (LCS) - CDE Mill Levy Correction website - CSFP Mill Levy and Tax Credits for Colorado districts - CSFP Tax Effort and Fiscal Capacity – 2020-21 Legislative Interim Committee on School Finance 2021 - August 24th Agenda - School Finance 101 presentation- Legislative Council staff and Office of Legislative Legal Services - Federal COVID Recovery Funding for Education Update- Colorado Department of Education - Measuring Student Poverty in Colorado's School Finance System- Colorado Children's Campaign CSFP Staffing Survey Results, August 2021 Financing of Public Schools 2021-22- Legislative Council Staff, August 11, 2021 Timeline of Colorado's School Finance & Education Reform 2020-21 thru 1982 Education Week Quality Counts Per Pupil Spending Charts FY18 Trends in Per Pupil Spending Chart- Data from NCES, US Census Bureau, and Education Week Budget Stabilization 2009-to present chart

July

JOIN US- Colorado School Finance Project's Inaugural School Finance Conference, September 15, 2021 at Beaver Run Resort in Breckenridge, CO -REGISTER NOW Education Week Quality Counts Per Pupil Spending Charts FY18 Trends in Per Pupil Spending Chart- Data from NCES, US Census Bureau, and Education Week Budget Stabilization 2009-to present chart July What We're Reading:

- 4-day school weeks: Education innovation or detriment? Evidence suggests instructional time makes the difference- Brookings Institute, July 12, 2021

June

SAVE THE DATE- Colorado School Finance Project's Inaugural School Finance Conference, September 15, 2021 at Beaver Run in Breckenridge Education Week Quality Counts Per Pupil Spending Charts FY18 Trends in Per Pupil Spending Chart- Data from NCES, US Census Bureau, and Education Week Budget Stabilization 2009-to present chart Colorado PERA's Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for year ending on December 31, 2020 - released June 18, 2021 June Forecast Legislative Council Staff Economic & Revenue Forecast Economic & Revenue Forecast Presentation Consumer Price Index Forecast Governor's Office of State Planning and Budgeting Colorado Economic and Fiscal Outlook Presentation to the Joint Budget Committee The Colorado Outlook: Supplemental Materials CSFP's Legislative Wrap-up 2021 information and resources- Click 2021 ribbon Public School Finance Act (SB21-268) runs from CDE- posted on 6/10/2021 Mill Levy and Tax Credits FY2020-21- UPDATED Build a Better Colorado Presentation March 10, 2021 David Sciarra, Executive Director, Education Law Center Justin Silverstein, CEO, Augenblick, Palaich & Associates CDE's Enrollment change 2020-21 to 2021-22

May

Colorado Supreme Court ruling on interrogatory for House Bill 21-1164 (Total Program Mill Levy Tax Credit) Memo from Legislative Council Staff- Legislative Changes and Flexibility in Use of American Rescue Plan Funds- May 20, 2021 SB21-268- Public School Finance Act Reengrossed 5.17.21 SB21-268- Public School Finance Act SB21-268- Public School Finance Act FISCAL NOTE Colorado Department of Education DRAFT runs on SB21-268 May What We're Reading: - Universal free lunch will help Colorado districts keep feeding kids. But could it also rob some schools of state funding?- The Colorado Sun, April 27, 2021 - Building for the future: Weld County school districts using bonds to renovate and add facilities- Chalkbeat Colorado, March 1, 2021

April

Lake County School District Board of Education Presentation April 27, 2021 CSFP April Advisory Meeting Materials: - Meeting recording - School Finance Update Presentation- Marc Carey and Kate Watkins, Legislative Council - Moody's Methodology Change Presentation- Mattie Prodanovic and Jason Simmons, Hilltop Securities - Budget Stabilization Factor as Percent of State Share - School Finance Factors with and without Budget Stabilization Factor - Analysis of Factors Workbook Explanatory narrative - Excel Workbook looking at Factors, Base Funding, and the Budget Stabilization Factor USDA Announcement on Free Lunch Extension through June 2022 April 20, 2021 Public Education & Business Coalition Board Presentation April 20, 2021 ESSER III Colorado Allocation by School District Western Slope April Advisory Meeting Presentation April 15, 2021 Salida School DIstrict Presentation April 13, 2021 Public Education Study Group materials 4.9.2021 - Meeting recording - School Finance 101 UPDATED Colorado COVID-19 Public School Assistance 2021 Budget Stabilization Factor Chart 2008-2021: Reflects passage of SB21-053, supplemental April What We’re Reading: - How States Can Manage Uncertainty, Balance Budgets, and Help Communities in the Pandemic's Wake- Pew Charitable Trusts, March 22, 2021 – Universal free lunch will help Colorado districts keep feeding kids. But could it also rob some schools of state funding?– The Colorado Sun, April 27, 2021 – Colorado Senate adds special ed funding, chief equity officer position to 2022 budget– Chalkbeat Colorado, April 8, 2021 – Colorado’s 2022 budget boosts K-12 spending, restores higher ed cuts– Chalkbeat Colorado, April 5, 2021

March

Public Education Study Group materials 3.26.2021 - A Look at Colorado Schools: Then and Now - Timeline of Colorado’s School Finance & Education Reform 2019-20 thru 1982 - Timeline of Facts and Figures for Colorado Schools 2020-21 Budget Stabilization Factor by School District March Forecast Legislative Council Staff Economic & Revenue Forecast Economic & Revenue Forecast Presentation Consumer Price Index Forecast Governor's Office of State Planning and Budgeting Colorado Economic and Fiscal Outlook Presentation to the Joint Budget Committee The Colorado Outlook: Supplemental Materials CSFP March Advisory Meeting Video Recording of Meeting Potential Ballot Issues presentation- Carol Hedges, CFI Nutrition Panel presentation School Finance: National Perspective, At-Risk Count, & Power Equalization presentation- Justin Silverstein, APA, and Tracie Rainey, CSFP - Overview of Power Equalization Build a Better Colorado Presentation March 10, 2021 David Sciarra, Executive Director, Education Law Center Justin Silverstein, CEO, Augenblick, Palaich & Associates CDE's Enrollment change 2020-21 to 2021-22 March What We're Reading/Watching: - Building for the future: Weld County school districts using bonds to renovate and add facilities- Chalkbeat Colorado, March 1, 2021

February

Building a Better Colorado Presentation February 19, 2021 - School Finance Principles PowerPoint - Graphs on Colorado Education Spending and Revenues 2008 to 2019 - Education Week Per Pupil Spending Comparison chart 2020 - Percent of General Fund appropriated for K-12 Education SB21-053- Supplemental Adjustment for 2020-21 School Year Bill Text SB21-053 Supplemental Adjustment for 2020-21 School Year Fiscal Note How School Finance Works CSFP's February Advisory Meeting: Video recording of meeting PERA Presentation by Ron Baker, Executive Director Overview of Potential Tax Reforms- Carol Hedges, Executive Director of the Colorado Fiscal Institute - Tax Year 2020 Income Tax Limits and Range of EITC CSFP Supplemental workbooks: - Potential Supplemental Model 2.11.21 District level - Estimated Budget Stabilization Factor Calculation - 2021 Midyear bill funds outside the formula- COVID Mitigation- Legislative Council - 2021 Midyear bill School Finance Formula Portion- Legislative Council At-a-Glance: 2020-21 Colorado Public School Student Enrollment February What We're Reading/Watching: - As Colorado House and Senate reconvene, leaders pledge funds for K-12, higher education- Chalkbeat Colorado, February 16, 2021 January A look at Colorado's average teacher salary - A national comparison and a district-by-district comparison Supplemental Budget Requests FY2020-21, Department of Education- January 2021 Comparison of HB20-1418, December CDE Funding Worksheet, and Governor's Supplemental Request Workbook Supplemental Request Analysis- Amount of reduction by school district University of Colorado at Denver's Education Policy Cohort Presentation booklet- CSFP's K-12 School Finance Packet- School finance discussion on January 19, 2021 CSFP’s December 2021 VIRTUAL Advisory Meeting: Video recording of meeting Growing Forward: Population & Economic Trends in Colorado - Elizabeth Garner, State Demography Office, Department of Local Affairs, January 2021 December 2020 Forecast- Kate Watkins, Legislative Council Staff COVID Assistance Information from CDE and the Governor's Office - ESSER II - GEER II CDE Allocation of Proposition EE dollars to Rural Schools - January 2021 CASB Conversations Webinar: Budgeting the Next Round of Federal Stimulus Dollars - Slides - Recording A Look at School District Enrollment 2020-21 Mesa County Valley School District 51 Presentation to the School Board- January 5, 2021 January What We’re Reading/Watching: - A guide to how Amendment 23, "the budget stabilization factor" and "the negative factor shape education spending in Colorado- The Colorado Sun, January 27, 2021 - Colorado teacher salaries rank below the national average. The recession is likely to keep them there. - The Colorado Sun, January 26, 2021
2020

December 2020

December 2020 Forecast Legislative Council staff Economic & Revenue Forecast Presentation to the Joint Budget Committee - K-12 Enrollment Forecast (slides 26-33) - Assessed Valuation Forecast (slides 34-37) - School Finance Outlook (slides 38-42) Consumer Price Index Forecast Governor's Office of State Planning and Budgeting Colorado Economic and Fiscal Outlook Presentation to the Joint Budget Committee The Colorado Outlook: Supplemental Materials Colorado Department of Education Hearing with the Joint Budget Committee on December 16, 2020 materials CDE Budget Worksheet Comparison Worksheets- CSFP tool to help school districts compare CDE's June projection to December model released on Monday, December 7, 2020. - Excel format - Google Sheets Adams 12 Leadership Academy Presentation 12.8.2020 Material from Mill Levy Certification Webinar on HB20-1418 - Mill Levy Setting Presentation - Copy of Bond Debt Service Model Template - Mill Levy Calculation Checklist - Mill Levy Certification Template - Video recording of webinar (skip to 36:00 for beginning of presentation) Additional resources for reference: Joint Budget Committee: Education Briefing Documents for FY 2021-22 State Budget Briefing FY2021-22 FY2021-22 Budget Briefing Summary Colorado COVID-19 Public School Assistance 2020 CSFP Briefing document: Mill Levy changes in the 2020 School Finance Act (HB20-1418) Joint Budget Committee: Education Briefing Documents for FY 2021-22 State Budget Briefing FY2021-22 FY2021-22 Budget Briefing Summary Bayfield School District Presentation- December 3, 2020 2020 State Profile Data: Our annual profile information depicts changes in K-12 funding and counts (comparing the base year of 1992-93 to 2013-14 to 2017-18 to 2018-19). Data is audited so lags behind current information. - 2020 State Profile Overview: a 1-page overview of areas of concern for K-12 - 2020 Overview Highlights & Charts: 2-page document with highlights and charts. - CSFP 2020 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. December What We’re Reading/Watching:   Millions in Colorado school funding at risk because of COVID-19 enrollment declines– The Denver Post, December 17, 2020 About 30,000 Colorado students choose not to enroll in public school this year (Tracie Rainey interviewed in video)– The Denver Channel, December 16, 2020 Colorado’s public school enrollment has dropped by 30,000 students. That could spell financial disaster for districts. – Colorado Sun, December 15, 2020 CDC report: Coronavirus mitigation efforts to reopen schools could cost up to $442 per student– K-12 Dive, December 14, 2020 CDC recommends mitigation strategies that schools can adopt to minimize the risk for transmission of SARS-CoV-1 in school settings – Center for Disease Control and Prevention, December 11, 2020 Across U.S., schools’ worst budget fears have been avoided. No one’s celebrating yet. – Chalkbeat, December 7, 2020

November 2020

2020 November Colorado School District Election Results

2020 Mill Levy Override Map Colorado Education Association Presentations: DAY ONE: School Finance in Colorado: A Historical Perspective Statehood to 2008- November 16, 2020 DAY TWO: School Finance in Colorado: A Historical Perspective 2009-Present- November 17, 2020 CSFP’s November 2020 VIRTUAL Advisory Meeting: Video Recording of meeting FY2021-22 Budget Request Governor Polis- Lauren Larson, Grace Glover, Aaron Ray and Luke Teater, Office of State Planning and Budgeting Distance to the Base & Changes to School Finance in 2020- Justin Silverstein and Tracie Rainey, CSFP 2020 Election Results and Recap- Lisa Weil, Great Education Colorado 2020 State Profile Data: Our annual profile information depicts changes in K-12 funding and counts (comparing the base year of 1992-93 to 2013-14 to 2017-18 to 2018-19). Data is audited so lags behind current information. - 2020 State Profile Overview: a 1-page overview of areas of concern for K-12 - 2020 Overview Highlights & Charts: 2-page document with highlights and charts. - CSFP 2020 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. A look at Colorado average teacher salaries over time- Colorado School Finance Project report, November 11, 2020 ELECTIONS PAGE 2020 2020 State Ballot Information Booklet (the Blue Book)- Legislative Council of the Colorado General Assembly Local Ballot Measure Tracker link from the Colorado Health Foundation Governor's FY2021-22 Budget Request- November 2, 2020 2020 State Ballot Information Booklet (the Blue Book)- Legislative Council of the Colorado General AssemblyAmendment B resources: - The Gallagher Amendment- Legislative Council Staff, July 30, 2020 - Amendment B explained: What repealing the Gallagher Amendment would mean for Colorado and your property taxes- The Colorado Sun, September 29, 2020 - Gallagher's Effect on Tax Rates Over Time graph - Amendment B: Repeal Gallagher Amendment, Explained- Colorado Public Radio, October 12, 2020Proposition 116 Tax Calculator- created by Colorado Fiscal Institute - CFI Prop 116 Tax Calculator - Google Spreadsheet - CFI Prop 116 Tax Calculator- Excel format November What we are reading: - More contribution hikes, benefit cuts may be needed to close $4.5 billion hole in Colorado's PERA- The Colorado Sun, November 21, 2020 - Drop in School Lunch Participation Leaves Budget Shortfalls- CT Examiner, November 8, 2020 - Colorado voters give a big boost to education funding by passing local and statewide measures- The Denver Channel, November 6, 2020 - Colorado's older teachers facing a crossroads: Risk coronavirus or retire- The Colorado Sun, November 5, 2020

October 2020

October Pupil Count- Where are the Students? Presentation to DBO- Tracie Rainey and Justin Silverstein, October 28, 2020 ELECTIONS PAGE 2020 DRAFT of 2020 School District Elections- Elections: Bond, BEST, Mill Levy Override (MLO), Operational MLO, and Transportation MLO.  Information posted as of 9/21/2020. 2020 State Ballot Information Booklet (the Blue Book)- Legislative Council of the Colorado General Assembly Amendment B resources: - The Gallagher Amendment- Legislative Council Staff, July 30, 2020 - Amendment B explained: What repealing the Gallagher Amendment would mean for Colorado and your property taxes- The Colorado Sun, September 29, 2020 - Gallagher's Effect on Tax Rates Over Time Proposition 116 Tax Calculator- created by Colorado Fiscal Institute - CFI Prop 116 Tax Calculator - Google Spreadsheet - CFI Prop 116 Tax Calculator- Excel format CSFP’s October 2020 VIRTUAL Advisory Meeting: Video Recording of meeting September 2020 Forecast & the Blue Book Process- Kate Watkins, Legislative Council Staff October Count Slide- Justin Silverstein, APA and Tracie Rainey Gallagher Amendment: Impacts on Schools & Local Services and Why Now is the Time to Repeal It- Senator Chris Hansen Be a Public Education Voter resources- Great Education Colorado Education Funding and Taxation Policy Presentation to Great Schools Thriving Communities- Justin Silverstein, APA and Tracie Rainey, October 7, 2020

September 2020

CDE Memo: Student October Count Data Respondents/Audit Contacts- September 25, 2020 Average Teacher Salary Comparison Chart using Business.org data Colorado Joint Education Committees' Meeting agenda and presentations- September 23, 2020 - Agenda - Overview and Statewide Snapshot from CDE - Managing COVID-10 Symptoms and Exposure - Colorado Charter School Institute - PTA and Parents on Reopening Schools - Addressing Barriers to Remote and In-Person Learning - Canon City Schools- How We Opened - North Routt Community Charter School - The Pinnacle Charter School - Budget and Funding Impacts from CDE - Colorado's Public Charter Schools and COVID - Overview of Possible Special Education Funsing Scenarios - Audio from meeting Beginning in May 2020, the CSFP collected district budget cut realities from school districts and monitored media reports, as well. Our findings are below: District Reported Budget Conversations Budget Cuts from Media Sources Trends in district cuts 2020-21 CSFP Presentation to the Public Education and Business Coalition, September 21, 2020 - PowerPoint Presentation in orginal format - PowerPoint Presentation created for grayscale printed ELECTIONS PAGE 2020 DRAFT of 2020 School District Elections- Elections: Bond, BEST, Mill Levy Override (MLO), Operational MLO, and Transportation MLO.  Information posted as of 9/21/2020. 2020 State Ballot Information Booklet (the Blue Book)- Legislative Council of the Colorado General Assembly The Gallagher Amendment- Legislative Council Staff, July 30, 2020 September 2020 Forecast - presentations to JBC CSFP’s September 2020 VIRTUAL Advisory Meeting: CSFP Student Count and Funding Charts (2019-20 data): - Emergent bilingual students (English language learners, according to CDE) - Gifted and Talented - Students experiencing homelessness - Special Education - Students eligible for free and reduced lunch 2020 Quality Counts Grading of State Spending Per Pupil (pp) on Education- For the second year in a row, Colorado received an F on Education Week's Quality Counts spending matrix. DRAFT of 2020 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 9/09/2020. September 2020 What We're Reading:  

August 2020

Update on free lunch from the Federal Government - Press Release: USDA Extends Free Meals for Kids Through December 31, 2020- USDA, Food and Nutrition Services, August 31, 2020

Four-Day Week Information: - Map of Four-Day Week School Districts in Colorado, August 2020 - School Districts with four-day weeks in Colorado 2001-2021 chart - Four Day School Week Manual 2020-21- Colorado Department of Education - Research paper: Are All Four-Day School Weeks Created Equal? A National Assessment of Four-Day School Week Policy Adoption and Implementation - Oregon State University, June 2020 Creede School District Presentation- CSFP, August 7, 2020 Colorado School Finance Project's School Finance and Education Reform Timeline 2019-20 to 1982

July 2020

Beginning in May 2020, the CSFP collected district budget cut realities from school districts. District Reported Budget Conversations Budget Cuts from Media Sources Trends in district cuts 2020-21 Learn about Initiative 271- Fair Tax Colorado Information- Click here What does Initiative 271 mean for your district? Colorado Association of School Board Want to know what happened in the 2020 Legislative Session?- Click here Mill Levy/Local Revenue Resources- Click Here

June 2020

CSFP’s June 2020 VIRTUAL Advisory Meeting CSFP Presentation– Upper Rio Grande/Del Norte Board of Education, June 23, 2020 June 2020 Forecast - presentations to JBC: School Districts' Mill Levies at time of "de-brucing" 2008-2021 Budget Stabilization Factor Graph (as proposed by HB20-1418) This chart compares state per-pupil spending to the U.S. average per-pupil spending. UPDATED: Education Week Per Pupil Spending Comparison 2008-2021 Budget Stabilization Factor Graph (as proposed by HB20-1418)

CSFP School Finance Act PRELIMINARY Modeling- Five percent from COL factor and rest from Budget Stabilization Factor

June What We're Reading:

May 2020

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE: Twitter Feed for @cosfp May 2020: District Concerns by Region Douglas County School Board Presentation- CSFP, 5.26.2020 Federal CARES UPDATE (5/20/2020) Joint Budget Committee Funding Updates UPDATED: 2008-2021 Budget Stabilization Factor: Looking at Potential Consequences in 2020-21 CSFP's May 2020 VIRTUAL Advisory Meeting: May UPDATED 2020 Forecast - presentations to JBC CSFP'S 2020 Budget Stabilization Informational Toolkit Joint Budget Committee Discussions May 2020 School Finance in Colorado Workbook 2020- Legislative Council Staff

Colorado School Districts Look To Trim Millions, Meaning Less Pay, Possibly Fewer Schools And Fewer Schooldays- Colorado Public Radio, May 6, 2020

-  Initiative 271- Vision 2020 Information  -

Initiative 271 Ballot Language and Initial Fiscal Impact Statement Sign up to attend a Fair Tax Colorado online info session:

Friday, May 8 @ 11:00 a.m.

Tuesday, May 12 @ 9:00 a.m.

Wednesday, May 13 @ 5:00 p.m.

Thursday, May 14 @ 11:00 a.m.

Tuesday, May 19 @ 12:00 p.m.

Wednesday, May 20 @ 4:00 p.m.

Thursday, May 21 @ 10:00 a.m.

Wednesday, May 27 @ 12:00 p.m.

Thursday, May 28 @ 5:00 p.m.

Friday, May 29 @ 10:00 a.m.

May What We're Reading:

April 2020

CSFP's April 2020 VIRTUAL Advisory Meeting:

CASB Conversations: Budgeting During a State Fiscal Crisis

A look at the Budget Stabilization Factor: Colorado Education Grant Dollars 2016-present Comparison of Colorado Average Per-Pupil Spending and U.S. Average Per-Pupil Spending 2007-2017

****COVID-19 UPDATES and INFORMATION****

April What We're Reading:

March 2020

****COVID-19 UPDATES and INFORMATION****

-  Initiative 271- Vision 2020 Information -

 Initiative 271 Ballot Language and Initial Fiscal Impact Statement

Sign up to attend a Fair Tax Colorado online info session:

Press Release: JBC Action Postponed Until April 7 at Earliest- March 20, 2020 March 2020 Forecast - presentations to JBC: March What We're Reading:

February 2020

CSFP’s February 2020 Advisory Meeting: 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) February What We’re Reading:

January 2020

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 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 Colorado Education Policy Fellowship Program Presentation- University of Colorado at Denver: School of Public Affairs, January 22, 2020 CSFP’s January 2020 Advisory Meeting: January What We're Reading:
2019

December 2019

December 2019 Forecast 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 Conference, December 2019: December What We’re Reading:

November 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 Public Education and Business Coalition School Finance Presentation– November 13, 2019 Governor’s FY 2020-21 November 1, 2019 Budget Request November What We're Reading:

October 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 Updated: Where is Colorado after 2019 Legislative Session? A look at progress toward equitable and more adequate school funding Corrected: How much are school districts spending on School-level and District-level administration? 2019 Interim School Finance Committee FOURTH MEETING MATERIALS: Proposition CC (a "de-brucing" measure): October What We're Reading:

September 2019

September 2019 Economic Forecast CASE Superintendent's Conference: 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 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 Proposition CC (a "de-brucing" measure) 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 Map of the Budget Stabilization Factor's impact on per-pupil funding in Colorado school districts FY 2018-19 Colorado's Legislative Council

August 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. SECOND MEETING: August 19, 2019 FIRST MEETING, June 25, 2019 materials 2019 Interim School Finance Committee meeting dates are as follows (and are subject to change):
      • September 12
      • October 21
      • December 10
Proposition CC (a "de-brucing" measure): Colorado voters leaning toward approving the elimination of state spending caps under TABOR, poll finds- Colorado Sun, August 14, 2019 August What We're Reading:

July 2019

Creede PowerPoint Presentation and Creede District Profile- Colorado School Finance Project, July 27, 2019 Colorado Association of School Executives (CASE) Conference PowerPoint presentation– Breckenridge, July 26, 2019 Learn more about Colorado school finance in our Colorado School Finance Project Briefing Documents July What We’re Reading

June 2019

Education Week Per Pupil Spending Comparison– this chart compares Colorado 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 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 Proposition CC (a “de-brucing” measure): 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:

May 2019

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 below the U.S. Average. Colorado now ranks 40th, down from 39th last year, in per-pupil spending. CSFP's May Advisory Committee Meeting 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. May What we are reading:

April 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 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 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 were 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:
  1. Students receiving Special Education services
  2. Students learning English
  3. Students who qualify for Free or Reduced Lunch (a proxy for poverty)
  4. Students receiving Gifted and Talented services
  5. Students identified as Homeless
April What We're Reading

March 2019

CSFP's March Advisory Committee Meeting School Finance Act of 1994 - Overview 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? 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. A Tale of Two Amendments: The Property Tax Dilemma - March 7, 2019 - Colorado LegiSource - An informal and educational resource for the Colorado General Assembly by the Office of Legislative Legal Services.

February 2019

CSFP February Advisory Committee Meeting CSFP presentation to the Public Education and Business Coalition (PEBC) on Gallagher and TABOR, February 13, 2019. From Colorado Legislative Council Staff - February 12, 2019: 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: a 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's 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. January What We're Reading
2018

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

June 2018

June 2018 Forecast CSFP was asked to provide additional detail regarding the individual district impact of Great Schools Thriving Communities (GSTC): 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

May 2018

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 PERA Update - Post Season What we're reading: Chalkbeat: Colorado was never ranked 46th for teacher pay.  Does this change the debate? May 1, 2018

April 2018

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: Colorado's Homeless Student Count 2005-2017. Data Source: CDE Instructional Program Count.

March 2018

CSFP March Advisory Committee Meeting 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:

February 2018

CSFP Advisory Committee Meeting CSFP Advisory Committee Meeting - Western Slope

January 2018

CASE Nuts & Bolts - Pre-CASE Conference - January 31, 2018 - CSFP Presentation CSFP Advisory Committee Meeting: 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
2017

School Finance Act Summary- Colorado Department of Education

December 2017

2017 State Profile Data: Our annual profile information depicts changes in K-12 funding and counts (comparing the base year of 1992-93 to 2010-11 to 2014-15 to 2015-16). Data is audited so lags behind current information.
  • 2017 State Profile Overview: 1-page overview of areas of concern for K-12
  • 2017 Overview Charts & Highlights: 2-page document with highlights and charts.
  • CSFP 2017 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.
School District Assessed Valuation and Total Programs Mills - explanation and district by district FY17 Assessed Valuation ($ raised per 1 mill) and FY16 Total Program Mills.
  • Assessed Valuation and Total Program Mills are components of the School Finance Act of 1994
  • School districts have no control over the Assessed Valuation or Total Program Mill.
Education Briefing by JBC Staff CDHE and CDE: Educator Shortage Strategic Plan - December 2017. For more on Colorado's Teacher Shortage / Supply / Retention is available on our Teacher Shortage, Supply, Retention page. School District Election Results for 2017: Bond, BEST, Mill Levy Override (MLO), Operational Mill Levy, Full Day Kindergarten MLO, Transportation MLO, Sales Tax. Additional information on District Elections can be found on our District Elections Page. CASB Convention 2017 Discussion on Strategy and Policy Ideas to Reform Constitutional Restrictions on School Finance

November 2017

CASB Convention 2017
Map of Mill Levy Overrides as of 2017 elections. Map does not include Full-Day Kindergarten, Transportation, or Technology Overrides. CDE - Educator Shortage Strategic Action Plan - November 2017 presentation to State Board of Education Demographic Trends Affecting Public Schools presentation by Cindy DeGroen, State Demography Office - Everything is connected - population to jobs to education to housing to education to the population. 11/10/2017 - Update at 10:30 AM Preliminary results of 2017 district ballot elections - subject to change as new information becomes available.  School Finance Interim Committee - November 9, 2017 Meeting Agenda. Additional information is available on our Interim Committees page. Governor's Budget Request 2018-19 - Office of State Planning and Budget - November 1, 2017

October 2017

Presentations at October CSFP Advisory Meeting

CSFP presentation to Adams 12 Five Star Leadership Academy October 20, 2017

 CSFP presentation at Western Slope Advisory Committee Meeting October 19, 2017

Preliminary list of ballot items for 2017 Colorado School District elections - November 7. 2017 election. List updated November 2, 2017. The list will be updated as new information becomes available.

The Colorado Legislature has discussed school district consolidation/deconsolidation many times. Following is a two-page overview and a historical timeline of Colorado's legislation and district actions on district consolidation/deconsolidation.

Report comparing the percent change in per-pupil funding between 2007-08 and 2013-14, data is adjusted for inflation, constant 2015-16 dollars. (National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) audited data).

September 2017

Half of Colorado School Districts have 4-day weeks. What's the Impact on Students?  Superintendent Jan DeLay (Re-1 Valley) speaks with Ryan Warner (Colorado Public Radio), article by Rachel Estabrook (CPR). Link to CSFP map of districts on 4-day weeks - as of September 2017.

September 2017 Economic Forecast:

CSFP Presentation Documents September 19, 2017

Column from The Hechinger Report: While The Rest Of The World Invests More In Education The U.S. Spends Less - Years of disinvestment could affect the future U.S. labor force.

Colorado's Rural Teachers Are Getting Pinched in the Teacher Salary Game - article by Jenny Brundin, Colorado Public Radio.

CSFP September Advisory Committee Meeting:

  • The Colorado Education Network - Students are Colorado’s greatest natural resource. When we invest in our public schools the next generation can reach its potential.

    CEN

Colorado's Legislative History of Mill Levy Overrides from 1988 - 2017

Preliminary list of ballot items for 2017 Colorado School District elections - November 7. 2017 election. List updated October 18, 2017. The list will be updated as new information becomes available.

Colorado: Percent of Personal Income Invested in PK-12 Education - one-page overview.

August 2017

Timeline of Colorado's School Finance & Education Reform 2017-18 thru 1982 PDF (August 2017 Update). One page write-up about Counting Students. Additional research about counting students is available on our Average Daily Membership page from SB 10-008 - a study to evaluate the feasibility of a system based on the average daily membership in school districts for Colorado's Public School Finance Act of 1994. CSFP Presentation at Advocacy U Workshop - Dire Straits - Nine Years of Colorado's K-12 Funding Cuts 2009-2018, How the Budget Stabilization (Negative) Factor has impacted districts, What districts would do with additional funds. Percent share of funding for Federal, State, and Districts - FY2014-15 (data from JBC Education Briefing Report, December 2016. Categoricals: Special Education, English language learner, Gifted and Talented, Career and Technical Education and Public School Transportation.

July 2017

CASE Convention - School Finance Presentation by the Colorado School Finance Project and Augenblick, Palaich and Associates Office of State Auditors - School District Fiscal Health Analysis - Fiscal Years 2014-2016 2017 Interim Committee School Finance. Link to CSFP Interim Committee page July 24, 2017, Meeting: Interim Committee on School Finance state website for 2017 session. Includes links to committee documents, committee schedule and meeting materials, HB17-1340 and committee members. Colorado Department of Education's Financial Transparency Website

Articles:

June 2017

Governor's Education Leadership Council - amending - CSFP Colorado Education Leadership Council page Colorado Per Pupil Spending Continues to Fall Further from the U.S. Average - U.S. Census data. Fiscal year 2014-15, Colorado's per-pupil spending was over $2,100 dollars below the U.S. Average. Ten years prior, Colorado was about $1,400 below the U.S. Average. Comparing Colorado and U.S. Average: Estimated Avg Annual Teacher Salary June 2017 Economic Forecast: Legislative Interim Committee on School Finance state website HB17-1340, 1340 Interim Committee. Includes links to committee documents, committee schedule and meeting materials, HB17-1340 and committee members.

May 2017

CSFP May 2017 Advisory Committee Meeting:

April 2017

CSFP April Advisory Committee Meeting: 2017 Action Summit - Colorado Conundrum

Western Slope CSFP Advisory Committee Meeting

  • Hitting the Base - Colorado K-12 Funding (version 3.1) - By district spreadsheet - The model was developed by Colorado Springs D-11 and has been discussed with both Henry Sobanet (State Budget Director) and Leanne Emm (Deputy Commissioner CDE -  School Finance). The model has been shared with the House and Senate Education Communities. How to use the spreadsheet:
    • In the first tab, you can adjust the inflation rate by year (2.8% is the preliminary estimate for 2017-18).
    • Four sample districts in the first tab illustrate what happens to a District’s funding as they drop to the base (see red arrow).
    • Added a calculation that indicates what happens to the State budget where the state has to increase K-12 funding once a District hits the base.
    • To see how specific districts will be affected, go to the first tab and in cell B20 enter the district name (if you enter the district name incorrectly, the correction will be in cell E20.  Enter the value of E20 into cell B20).

Comparing a variety of audited funding sources, the funding gap between Colorado and the U.S. Average has continued to increase over the past two decades. Also included is a chart, in constant 2016 dollars, illustrating how much less Colorado spent per student in 1994, 2004 and 2014. In constant 2016 dollars, Colorado spent about $1,000 per pupil less in 1994 and about $2,000 less per pupil in 2014.

Colorado's Per Pupil Spending Gap for 2013-14 compares Colorado's per-pupil spending gap with and without the negative factor to the U.S. Average and the average of the top 5 per-pupil spending states. With the negative factor, Colorado ranks 40th in per-pupil spending. Without the negative factor, Colorado ranks 29th.

March 2017

Denver Post - Supreme Court Bolsters Rights of Learning-Disabled Students in Ruling in Colorado Case - Andrew F v Douglas County School District 1

Article from the Journal-Advocate: Colorado School Funding Facing 'Scary' Situation - recapping a presentation by one of CSFP's board members / Deputy Superintendent/Chief Financial Officer of Colorado Springs D-11.

March 2017 State Forecasts

Updated reports on Colorado's special needs populations and a comparison of Average Teacher Salary: Colorado to the U.S. Average.

  1. Students receiving Special Education services
  2. Students learning English
  3. Students who qualify for Free or Reduced Lunch (proxy for poverty)
  4. Students receiving Gifted and Talented services
  5. Homeless Students
  6. Estimated average teacher salary - Colorado compared to the U.S. Average - constant 2015-16 dollars.

JBC Staff Figure Setting 2017-18 - Department of Education (JBC working document - subject to change)

School Finance and the Constitution, Colorado Legislative Council Staff

Colorado: Did You Know 2017? - The second video in our series Colorado: Did You Know? describing the school finance situation in Colorado. Our second video provides additional detail about the impact of Colorado's funding of K-12 students, districts and the state of Colorado. Our Did You Know? page houses both videos and PDFs.

February 2017

Colorado School Finance Project Advisory Meeting February 2017 presentations

Hitting the Base - Glenn Gustafson, Colorado Springs D-11, CFO
  • Hitting the Base presentation
  • Hitting the Base - Colorado K-12 Funding (version 3.1) - By district spreadsheet - The model was developed by Colorado Springs D-11 and has been discussed with both Henry Sobanet (State Budget Director) and Leanne Emm (Deputy Commissioner CDE -  School Finance). The model has been shared with the House and Senate Education Communities. How to use the spreadsheet:
    • In the first tab, you can adjust the inflation rate by year (2.8% is the preliminary estimate for 2017-18).
    • Four sample districts in the first tab illustrate what happens to a District’s funding as they drop to the base (see red arrow).
    • Added a calculation that indicates what happens to the State budget where the state has to increase K-12 funding once a District hits the base.
    • To see how specific districts will be affected, go to the first tab and in cell B20 enter the district name (if you enter the district name incorrectly, the correction will be in cell E20.  Enter the value of E20 into cell B20).

Colorado Legislative Council - Education Budget Outlook - February 2017 - Natalie Mullis, Chief Economist, Legislative Council staff

Eight Years of K-12 School Funding Cuts 2009-2017 by county, district (inclusive of mid-year, budget stabilization, and negative factor) - updated February 2017.

Video from KUSA 9News answering the question “I thought all that tax money from marijuana was supposed to take care of all this.”

Why Pot Tax Can’t Save a Jeffco School

CASE Winter Leadership Conference:

January 2017

CSFP January Advisory Committee Meeting presentations:

KUNC - All Things Considered: Lawmakers Float Solutions to Colorado's School Funding Shortfall, January 18, 2017, an interview with Tracie Rainey (Executive Director, Colorado School Finance Project.

Hickenlooper's Supplementals and Budget Amendments January 17, 2017

Education Week, Quality Counts 2017: Chart comparing per-pupil spending above and below the U.S. average between Colorado and the 50 states and D.C. (2014 audited data). Colorado spends $2,685 less than the U.S. average, ranking 41st of 51. Quality Counts 2017: Per Pupil Spending 2014 Data, Dollars Above or Below U.S. average.

2016

School Finance Act Summary- Colorado Department of Education

December 2016:

JBC for 2017-18 - December Forecast - December 20, 2016

CDE Budget Briefing and Hearing:

Final results for 2016 Colorado school district elections.

Map of Mill Levy Overrides as of 2016 elections. Map does not include Full-Day Kindergarten, Transportation, Operational, or Technology overrides.

CSFP''s presentation at 2016 CASB Convention: Results from Updating Analysis of Balancing Equity and Adequacy in a School Finance System - Moving Forward Colorado.Paying for Educational Excellence:

A fresh, in-depth look at what''s required to provide all Colorado children with the education they need to succeed encourages improved funding for Special needs students and modernizing the state''s 22-year old school finance system. Paying for Educational Excellence - Building blocks for a new K-12 funding plan. Learn more about paying for educational excellence. Learn more about our costing out / equity work.

Read more on the CSFP December Release

Tax Effort and Fiscal Capacity

The Colorado School Finance Project recently (2016) completed a review of school district Tax Effort and Fiscal Capacity. It’s important to note that school districts have no control over what 1 mill can raise. The range for what 1 mill can raise is from a low of about $4,000 to a high of $13,000,000. The range for what 1 mill can raise per student is a low of about $20 to a high of $3,000.

November 2016:

Natalie Mullis, Chief Economist, Legislative Council Staff presentation to CSFP Advisory Committee, State Budget Outlook November 2016

Map of Colorado school districts on 4-day weeks. Some districts choose to have a 4-day week, for others it is a financial decision. Colorado has 178 school districts, plus the Charter School Institute. Source: CDE and school districts

  • Districts with all schools on a 4-day week: 78 (updated)
  • Districts with multiple schools on a 4-day week: 5 districts and the Charter School Institute
  • Districts with 1 school on a 4-day week: 6
  • BOCES on a 4-day week: 1

UPDATE: Final results for school district elections - December 2016 DRAFT results for school district elections as of 11/18/2016, UPDATED at 6:00 PM - subject to change as more current information becomes available - unofficial results. Final results December 8, 2016.

CSFP and Augenblick, Palaich & Associates presentation at Colorado Department of Education''s 2016 Equity and Excellence Conference: Defining Equity and Student Need Reflective of Student Demographics.

Governor''s Budget Request FY2017-18, November 1, 2016

CSFP presentation on School Finance - an Introduction and Overview to the 2018 Table; What were the goals of the 1994 School Finance Act?; The Order Revenue is Collected; Evaluating the Success of the 1994 Act; Categoricals; Steps in Changing to a New System; Stay Tuned.

October 2016:

On October 27, 2016, the Colorado School Finance Project joined with 14 other organizations and sent the following Open Letter to State Leaders: Governor John Hickenlooper, all state representatives and senators, and the members of the Colorado State Board of Education. A link to the PDF of this letter with the original signers as of October 27,2016 is here.  Individuals and groups can add their names to the open letter here.

CSFP Presentation Colorado Education Initiative STEM: Colorado''s Statistics: Does Money Matter?

Quality Counts 2016 (2012-13 School Year, FY 2013)

Per Pupil Spending by State: Colorado ranks 42 of 51 in per pupil spending; spending $2,681 less than the U.S. Average of $11,667.Nearby States Spending More Per Pupil than Colorado: Colorado spent $2,681 less than the U.S. Average.
  • Kansas spends $2,298 more than Colorado
  • Montana $4,140 more
  • Nebraska $4,644 more
  • New Mexico $781 more
  • Wyoming $8,270 more
2016 State Profile Data: Our annual profile information depicts changes in K-12 funding and counts (comparing the base year of 1992-93 to 2009-10 to 2013-14 to 2014-15). Data is audited so lags behind current information.
  • 2016 State Profile Overview: 1 page overview of areas of concern for K-12.
  • 2016 Overview Charts & Highlights: 2 page document with highlights and charts.
  • CSFP 2016 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.
Paying for Educational Excellence "You don''t know where you''re going until you know where you''ve been." We are taking a fresh, detailed look at the equity and adequacy of school support in our state. Four central principles underlie a finance system - adequacy, equity, sustainability and adaptability. Paying for Educational Excellence - Behind the curtain on school finance PDF. Learn more about paying for educational excellence. Learn more about our costing out / equity work.

The Learning Policy Institute (LPI) released their report A Coming Crisis in Teaching? Teacher Supply, Demand and Shortages in the U.S. Following is information from the report that is pertinent to Colorado:

    1. Colorado: Understanding Teacher Shortages - Map and overview highlighting key factors that reflect and influence teacher supply and demand.
    2. State indicators influencing Supply and Demand by State (Appendix B)
    3. Distribution of Uncertified and Inexperienced Teachers by State (Appendix C)
Links to the Learning Policy Institute:

CSFP Presentation at CASBO - October 6, 2016

As part of CSFP and Augenblick, Palaich & Associates Costing Out / Equity Work we created a draft document that describes the School Finance Act of 1994. The document is a work in progress as we continue our work on the Costing Out / Equity Work. Included in the document:

  • Goals set forth by the legislature
  • What did the system fund?
  • Where are we today in meeting the 1994 School Finance Goals?
  • Today''s Education System
  • Do we know the cost of this system? (Work on this section is in progress)
  • What does a high quality education system cost to be successful - not just to be compliabt? (Work on this section is in progress).

September 2016:

Using National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) data, the Colorado School Finance Project created two new charts comparing state per pupil spending between 2002-03 to 2012-13.  NCES data is audited data so lags behind current data.What we found: (Dollars are adjusted for inflation, constant to 2014-15 dollars.)

  • Colorado spent $703 less per pupil in 2012-13 than it did in 2002-03; ranking 47th in per pupil spending change.
  • During the same time period, the U.S. average per pupil spending increased $556 per pupil.
The charts: CSFP Presentation Colorado Education Initiative STEM - September 2016 September 2016 Colorado Forecasts: 2016 District Elections - DRAFT - UPDATED 9/27/2016 - Subject to change as new information becomes available. Prior year election information is here. Colorado School Finance Project presentation to CSFP Advisory Committee: Where did we leave off in May?  Supplemental information for the presentation: Costing Out / Equity Work - CSFP & Augenblick, Palaich and Associates - Paying for educational excellence: Does Colorado provide schools with the resources to ensure all children receive the quality education they need to grow and succeed in the 21st century? Many Coloradoans agree the answer is "no." This fall, CSFP and APA are in the process of updating our Costing Out work.

Additional information on CSFP and APA''s costing out work can be found here, (or click on the tab on the left: CSFP Research and then click on Costing Out Studies.)

Colorado Did You Know? School Finance video: link

August 2016

Colorado School Finance and Education Reform Timeline - from 2016-17 to 1982. Updated as of August 2016, new format. Office of State Auditor: Colorado School District Fiscal Health Information Report Augut 2016: Trends over Fiscal Years 2013, 2014, 2015. UPDATED September/2016 - Subject to change as new information becomes available. Tax Effort and Fiscal Capacity Report for Colorado School Districts includes Total Program Mills, Bond Mills, Total Override Mills, and Total Mills. Prior year election information is here. CSFP Presentation Colorado Education Initiative STEM - August 2016

July 2016

CSFP presentation at CASE Conference 2016: Colorado''s State Budget & K-12 The Gap in Per Pupil Spending 2012-13 (audited data so lags behind current data) document is here.
  • With the Negative Factor: Colorado spent $ -2,053 less than the U.S. Average, ranking 40th.
  • With No Negative Factor: Colorado would rank 28th, spending $ -816 less than the U.S. Average.
2016-17 District Budget Cut Conversations - Subject to change as new information becomes available. Prior year District Budget Cut Conversations (FY 2009-10 through FY 2015-16, the negative factor years) is here. U.S. Department of Education

June 2016

June 2016 Economic Forecast CSFP Presentation at St. Vrain Valley School District - June 15, 2016 Categorical Funding: Federal, State, Local 2007-08 to 2013-14 Colorado 2014 Graduation Rate Lags Behind U.S. Average and in Every Student Subgroup

May 2016

Need & Size Factors and Tax Effort & Fiscal Capacity Report for Colorado school districts. The Future of School Finance in Colorado: Joint Budget Committee, House & Senate Education - 2016 Legislation session - documents presented to the joint JBC and House & Senate Education committees.

April 2016

From Colorado Public Radio: In Colorado, School Funding Lags Despite a Booming Economy, by Jenny Brundin CSFP Presentation to Colorado Education Initiative (CEI) Colorado STEM Network (CSN) April 2016 Conference Call. CSFP Grand Junction Community Meeting - April 22 CSFP Grand Junction Advisory Meeting - Western Slope Superintendents - April 21 Panel Discussion: Takes a Team to Educate a Child, Eastern Colorado School Boards - handouts: April 19, 2016
    • Colorado Did You Know? School Finance video: link
Presentation at CSFP Advisory Committee Meeting: Discussion - School Finance Update, Mill Levy Discussion, Mesa County Ruling

March 2016

March 2016 Forecasts Presentations at CSFP Advisory Meeting CSFP presentation at Great Futures Action Summit: The Conundrum of School Finance CSFP presentation to Weld County RE-1 Gilcrest: The Conundrum of School Finance, Planning School Budgets for the Future: All the Moving Parts

February 2016

Colorado Attorney General opinion on the constitutionality of a legislative proposal to create an enterprise that would administer Colorado''s Hospital Provider Fee.Seven Years of K-12 School Funding Cuts 2009-2016 (inclusive of mid-year, budget stabilization and negative factor) - February 2016 East Central BOCES Presentation: Article 10 Section 20 of the Constitution - Taxpayer Bill of Rights brief overview. Source documents: CSFP presentation at CASE Conference February 2016: Nuts & Bolts

January 2016

Colorado STEM Network Web Meeting - January 2016 CSFP powerpoint  Quality Counts 2016 (2012-13 School Year, FY13) - Per Pupil Spending by State: Colorado ranks 42 of 51 in per pupil spending; spending $2,681 less than the U.S. Average of $11,667.
2015

School Finance Act Summary- Colorado Department of Education

December 2015

CSFP Presentations at 2015 CASB Convention:

Colorado Did You Know? School Finance video: link

November 2015

CSFP November Advisory Committee meeting presentations:

Final results of 2015 District Bond, BEST, Mill Levy Override (MLO), Technology MLO, Authorization to Lease November elections.

Governor's Budget Letter, November 2, 2015

October 2015

CSFP Presentation to Colorado Education Initiative (CEI) Colorado STEM Network (CSN) October Conference Call. Western Slope Superintendents Meeting: The Conundrum of School Finance (pdf) - CSFP Presentation 2015 State Profile Data: Our annual profile information depicts changes in K-12 funding and counts (comparing the base year of 1992-93 to 2008-09 to 2012-13 to 2013-14). Data is audited data from CDE, so lags behind current information.
  • CSFP Profile Data: 2015 Highlights: 2-page overview of state profile data highlighting areas of concern for K-12.
  • CSFP 2015 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 at CASBO October 2015

The Conundrum of School Finance - CASBO 2015 (PDF of PowerPoint) CSFP: Percent Change in Per Pupil Spending from 2008-2013, adjusted for inflation, chart. Data source: US Census Bureau.

Presentations from October Advisory Committee

September 2015

CSFP Presentation to Colorado Education Initiative (CEI) Colorado STEM Network (CSN) September Conference Call. Superintendents Conference: CSFP Scenarios presented at the Superintendents Conference. NOTE: CSFP will update our scenario information soon after the State Forecast on September 21, 2015.
  1. Components for State Level Modeling School Funding
  2. CSFP Scenarios:
    1. CSFP 2015-16 Scenarios Page 1
    2. CSFP 2016-17 Scenarios Page 2
    3. CSFP 2017-18 Scenarios Page 3
    4. CSFP Comparison of Per Pupil Figures Page 4
  3. Impact of Increasing Negative Factor - chart
DRAFT District Bond, BEST, Mill Levy Override and Technology Mill Levy Override for 2015 - As in past years, the CSFP collected district election information for 2015. Updated 9/25/2015 at 10:30 AM. Educating Colorado Project (ECP)

August 2015

District Budget Cut Conversations and Four Years of the Negative Factor As in prior years, the CSFP collected budget cut conversations from school districts and the media: 2015-16 School District Budget Conversations. We also added the 2014-15 Negative Factor data to our Negative Factor by County/District 2011-12 thru 2014-15 Summary (Data Source: CDE). The last column indicates the revenue lost to districts over the 4 year period. This information and prior year's information is posted on our District Budget Cuts page.

July 2015

DRAFT of 2015 possible district elections (Bond, BEST, Mill Levy Override) as of August 10, 2015. We will update at the end of August/beginning for September. CASE presentation: CSFP, CASE Department of Business Officials (DBO) and Augenblick, Palaich & Associates presentation Making Sense of the School Finance Landscape:

June 2015

Colorado Supreme Court ruling Taxpayers for Public Education v Douglas County School District

CSFP's Colorado School Finance & Education Reform Timeline - 1980 - 2016. June 2015 update.

June 2015 Forecasts:

Colorado Legislative Council and Office of State Planning & Budget (OSPB)

CSFP Highlights of district fiscal trends from the Office of the State Auditor (OSA), School Fiscal Health report, May 2015, reporting on FY11-12, FY12-13, and FY 13-14.

Appendix C: Map of districts with 2 or more warning indicators. Prior years OSA School Fiscal Health reports are on the School Finance Act Legislation page, scroll to and click on the appropriate year, then look for the heading Office of State Auditor,

U.S. CENSUS BUREAU - Public Elementary-Secondary Education Finance Data: 2013 (2015 update). The report: U.S. Census Bureau: Public Education Finances: 2013. Colorado highlights:
  • Revenue Per Student: Colorado is $-2,061 below the US Average.
  • Spending Per Student: Colorado is $-2,053 below the US Average.
  • As Colorado has increased per-pupil spending/revenue over the years, the US Average has increased more.
CSFP created the following reports reflecting Colorado's Education Finance Data Rankings 2013: U.S. Census Bureau: Public Education Finances: 2013, Highlighting Colorado's rankings:
  • Table 11. States Ranked According to Per Pupil Elementary-Secondary Public School System Finance Amounts: FY 2012-13
  • Table 12. States Ranked According to Relation of Elementary-Secondary Public School System Finance Amounts to $1,000 of Personal Income: FY 2012-13
Dwyer v CO - oral arguments presented to Colorado Supreme Court June 3, 2015, 15SA22. Link to the one hour video of the oral arguments (pdf of the instructions):
  1. Click on this link, which goes to the Colorado Judicial Branch, Appellate Courts Live Broadcast,
  2. Type Dwyer in the Archived Video search box.
  3. Click on 15SA22, In Dwyer v The State of Colorado
  4. The Dwyer v State of Colorado video will appear.

May 2015

Office of the State Auditor, School Fiscal Health Report, May 2015. The report includes information from 2012, 2013, and 2014. For additional background, the District Budget Cuts page contains information about the cuts districts made during this timeframe due to the Negative Factor and mid-year rescissions. The Colorado School Finance Timeline and Education Reform provides a historical overview of this time period. School Fiscal Health reports from 2009-2015 are on the School Finance Act Legislation page, scroll to and click on the appropriate year, then look for the heading Office of State Auditor. Maps of Districts with 2 or more warning indicators (note dates are not on the maps) CSFP's Colorado School Finance & Education Reform Timeline - 1980 - 2016. June 2015 update CSFP Presentation to Colorado Education Initiative (CEI) Colorado STEM Network (CSN) May Conference Call. CSFP Discussion: CSFP Equity Analysis - Overview Student-Centered Accountability Project: Bruce Hankins, Superintendent Dolores County Schools, and Brian Hanson, Superintendent Mancos School District RE-6, presented to the State Board on May 14, 2015, their rural alternative assessment and Student-Centered Accountability Project. On April 20, 2015, the CSFP emailed all 178 Colorado school districts and the Charter School Institute asking for a response to the question: What Would You Do with Additional Funds?

On April 21st, we began tweeting responses.  We will continue tweeting responses each day in an attempt to capture district needs across the state.  We know everyone isn’t on twitter, so the tweets are captured here.  The list is updated through Wednesday, May 6, 2015. Our thanks to districts for their insight. For those of you on twitter: We are using the hashtag #k12needsco (K12 Needs CO).

Background on the Negative Factor: Since 2009, Colorado school districts have been negatively impacted by the Negative Factor / Rescissions; forcing districts to cut budgets and continue to make reductions.

Negative Factor by Fiscal Year:

  • FY 2009-10: $130M
  • FY 2010-11: $381M
  • FY2011-12: $774M
  • FY2012-13: $1.001B
  • FY 2013-14: $1.004B
  • FY 2014-15: $880.1M
  • FY 2015-16: Estimated $855.1M

Dwyer v CO - Dwyer Order Setting Oral Argument Dwyer v State of CO. Prior information pertaining to the Dwyer (Amendment 23) v CO lawsuit is available on our Court Cases page, scroll down to Amendment 23 Lawsuit; Dwyer v Colorado and click on the tab.

April 2015:

CSFP Presentation to Colorado Education Initiative (CEI) Colorado STEM Network (CSN) April Conference Call. Dwyer v CO - April 22, 2015 - Reply to Plaintiff's Response to Order and Rule to Show Cause (State's reply)- Amendment 23. Prior information pertaining to the Dwyer (Amendment 23) v CO lawsuit is available on our Court Cases page, scroll down to Amendment 23 Lawsuit; Dwyer v Colorado and click on the tab. NOW WHAT? March Estimates and Possible Fixes - Carol Hedges, Colorado Fiscal Institute: Presentation to CSFP. Who Are Colorado's Students? 2014-15 - one page summary of Colorado's students.

March 2015:

Dwyer v CO - March 23, 2015 - Response and Amicus Briefs - Amendment 23. Prior information pertaining to the Dwyer (Amendment 23) v CO go to the Court Cases page, and scroll down to Amendment 23 Dwyer v CO tab.

Natalie Mullis, Chief Economist, Colorado Legislative Council Staff presentation to CSFP

Superintendents Position Paper: "Endorsed by 174 Colorado superintendents representing more than 92% of the public school students in our state, this statement communicates our collective position on the foundational issue of public school funding."

February 2015:

Quality Counts 2015 (2011-12 School Year, FY 2012)

  1. Per Pupil Spending by State: Colorado ranks 43 of 51 in per-pupil spending; spending $2,715 less than the U.S. average of $11,735,
  2. Percent Total Taxable Resources Spent by State: Colorado ranks 39th.
  3. School Finance Grade by state. Colorado ranks 41st with a D+.
  4. Nearby States Spending More Per Pupil than Colorado. Colorado spends $2,715 less than the U.S. average.
    • Kansas spends $2,379 more than Colorado
    • Montana $4,204 more
    • Nebraska $4,437 more
    • New Mexico $716 more
    • Wyoming $8,738 more
CSFP Presentation to Colorado Education Initiative (CEI) Colorado STEM Network (CSN) February Conference Call. 2014 State Profile Data: Our annual profile information depicts changes in K-12 funding and counts (comparing 1992-93 to 2007-08 to 2011-12 to 2012-13). Prior State Profile information is in the State Profile page.
  • CSFP Profile Data: 2014 Highlights: is a 2-page overview of all state profile data highlighting areas of concern for K-12.
  • CSFP State Profile Data: 4 tables and Notes (italicized items are new this year):
    • Table 1: Enrollment (Funded Pupil Count and Membership), Special Education, Free and Reduced Lunch, ELL (2 year funded and total ELL served), Instances of Mobility, Gifted and Talented. Note that all per-pupil calculations are on Membership count.
    • Table 2: Number of Teachers, Teachers per 1,000 students, Average Salary
    • Table 3: Per Student Current Spending and Revenues - New: State/Local Revenue without Overrides (See Notes for further information on this item).
    • Table 4: Relationship between State/Local Revenue for K-12 Public Education and Personal Income, New: Overrides in Local, Negative Factor
    • Notes: Footnotes for all tables are located on the Notes pages.
Dwyer Order and Rule to Show Cause - Colorado Supreme Court. Additional information: A recently released study by Northwestern University & University of California on The Effects of School Spending on Educational and Economic Outcomes Evidence from School Reforms: Purpose of Study: To understand whether, how and why school spending affects student outcomes. Findings: Researchers found that increased per-pupil spending, induced by school finance reforms narrowed adult socioeconomic attainment differences between those raised in low-income and high-income families. They find that money does matter and that better school resources can meaningfully improve the long-term outcomes of recently educated children. Three Years of Negative Factor by district - FY 2011-12 thru FY 2013-14. Totals by district and Fiscal Year. The CSFP will update this report with FY 2014-15 data once that data is final. Data source: CDE, district by district final reports, February 2015.

January 2015:

The Education Writers Association, using recent National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) data on Revenues and Expenditures for Public Elementary and Secondary Education: School Year 2011-12 FY 2012, created an interactive map containing data for each state. The article: How the United States Spent $600B on Schools SY 2011-12 FY 2012. The interactive map is here. The CSFP also used this data in our annual Trends in Per Pupil Spending.

CSFP Presentation to Colorado Education Initiative (CEI) Colorado STEM Network (CSN) January Conference Call. Natalie Mullis, Chief Economist, Colorado Legislative Council Staff presentation to CSFP: Colorado Economy and State Budget Outlook. Chart: Colorado's PK-12 Membership continues to increase as funding decreases: As Colorado's PK-12 membership and At-Risk count have increased, rescissions and the Negative Factor have decreased funding.  Over 1/3 of Colorado's students are At-Risk, based upon the Federal Guidelines for Free Lunch. Update to CSFP Trends in Per Pupil Spending illustrates the gap between Colorado and the national average, 1991-92 through 2011-12. Data sources include the U.S. Census Bureau, Colorado state Profile Data, Education Week; Quality Counts, and the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). Figures are audited data, so lag behind current spending numbers. For the past 20 years, the gap has continued to grow; from less than $500 per student in the early to mid-1990s to between $1,800 and $2,800 less by FY 2011-12.
2014

School Finance Act Summary- Colorado Department of Education

December 2014:

CSFP Presentation at 2014 CASB Convention: School Finance: TABOR and What's Next? pdf of powerpoint and pdf of handouts.

November 2014:

2014 Election Results by district (Bond, BEST, Mill Levy Override, City Tax) and Summary of Elections from 2010-2014.

Mill Levy Overrides - Colorado Map

October 2014:

From the U.S. Census Bureau, Public Education Finances FY 2011-12: Colorado spent $31.91 per $1,000 of Personal Income on PK-12, ranking 47th in the nation. The map is available here. The full U.S. Census Bureau, Public Education Finances: 2012 report, here.

The Education Commission of the States reports on state minimum requirements for the Number of Instructional Days/Hours in the School Year, October 2014 update. Per the report, the majority of states require a minimum of 180 student instructional days, Colorado's minimum is 160 student instructional days.

CSFP presentation to Colorado Education Initiative (CEI) Colorado STEM Network (CSN) for October 2014.

Colorado Legislative Council Services Overview of K-12 Public School Funding Scenariospresentation by Todd Herreid, Legislative Council Staff to CSFP.

National Education Policy Center's (NEPC) Schools of Opportunity: The National Education Policy Center seeks to identify and recognize excellent public high schools that actively strive to close opportunity gaps by engaging in practices that build on students’ strengths, thereby creating engaging and supported learning opportunities for all their students. Nominate your school serving at least grades 10-12. Applications for schools in Colorado and New York, application deadline November 15, 2014.

September 2014:

CSFP Presentation to Colorado STEM Network (CSN) September Conference Call.

CSFP Presentation to Superintendents including State Budget, Budget Considerations, Per Pupil Spending Adjusted for Inflation (CO and US), PPR from 1999-00 to 2014-15, Charts with Negative Factor Reduction as Percent of Factors.

Per Pupil Spending (Adjusted for Inflation): Trends in Colorado and U.S. Average Per Pupil Spending on page 1 and Colorado's School Finance and Education Reform on page 2. In 2012, Colorado's average per pupil spending was lower than the 1995 amount, as Colorado's Education Reform expanded significantly over the last few years. CSFP's expanded timeline from 1990's to the present is available on the Timeline page.

The Office of the State Auditor released the 2014 School Fiscal Health report last month. Within the report the OSA states "...the decline in available resources is taking its toll on districts. It is possible that the number of districts with warning indicators will increase again in Fiscal Year 2015 analysis." (pg 36). CSFP created two documents from the report:

District Budget Conversations for 2014-15 School Year - information from districts and media as of August 2014. Prior year budget cut conversations are on the District Budget Cuts page. DISTRICT ELECTIONS & overview of Mill Levy Overrides: DRAFT Preliminary CSFP 2014 school district Bond, BEST, Mill Levy Override, Local Sales Tax elections. Report wll be updated as information changes - updated as of October 6, 2014. DRAFT Summary Overview of Elections 2010-2014 as of October 6, 2014. An overview of Mill Levy Overrides from 2009-13. Between 2009 and 2013, Colorado experienced the Great Recession and the beginnings of an economic recovery. To help balance the state's budget, the Colorado State Legislature first instituted Mid-Year rescissions, and then created the Negative Factor. During this time period 40 of Colorado's 178 districts passed a mill levy override (MLO), while 138 did not. Mill Levy Overrides between 2009-2013 is a one-page overview of the impact of having the capacity/not having the capacity to pass a MLO, the wide variation of how many dollars 1 mill can raise, and the impact to district budgets. Charter Schools & Traditional Public Schools, an overview: presentation to Wind Crest Community, Highlands Ranch, CO.

August 2014:

Office of the State Auditor, School Fiscal Health report, July 2014. The report includes information from 2011, 2012, and 2013. For additional background, the District Budget Cuts page contains information about the cuts districts made during this timeframe due to the Negative Factor and mid-year rescissions. The Colorado School Finance Timeline and Education Reform provides a historical overview of this time period. Prior year School Fiscal Health reports from 2009-2013 are on the School Finance Act / Legislation page, scroll to the appropriate year, the reports are under the Office of State Auditor heading.

Map of Districts with 2 or more warning indicators:

July 2014

CSFP and APA presentation at CASE Conference - School Finance: 1) What does a good finance system look like and how does Colorado compare? 2) National Trends - formulas, funding, budgeting, transparency, student count. 3) Foundation formulas - philosophy of districts - FTE, student based and combinations 4) Colorado's formula K-12 Per Pupil Funding and National Average Chart comparing Colorado per pupil funding to the National average 1970 - 2011 using NCES data, Gallagher, TABOR, and Amendment 23 passage also noted. Chart provided by Great Education Colorado.

June 2014

Dwyer v State of Colorado - complaint, press release, media. Information on Amendment 23 Dwyer v CO is on our Court Cases page, scroll to and click on the Amendment 23 Lawsuit; Dwyer v Colorado tab.

June 2014 State Forecast:

Mill Levy Overrides between 2009-2013 - Between 2009 and 2013, Colorado experienced the Great Recession and the beginnings of an economic recovery. To help balance the state's budget, the Colorado State Legislature first instituted Mid-Year rescissions, and then created the Negative Factor. During this time period 40 of Colorado's 178 districts passed a mill levy override (MLO), while 138 did not.

Mill Levy Overrides between 2009-2013 is a one-page overview of the impact of having the capacity/not having the capacity to pass a MLO, the wide variation of how many dollars 1 mill can raise, and the impact to district budgets.

District Budget Conversations for 2014-15 School Year - information from districts and media as of August 2014. Prior year budget cut conversations are on the District Budget Cuts page.

CSFP's annual update to our timeline: Colorado's School Finance & Education Reform Timeline 1980-2014 - updated June 2014.

Update to CSFP Trends in Per Pupil Spending illustrates the gap between Colorado and the national average, 1991-92 through 2010-11. Data sources include the U.S. Census Bureau, Colorado state Profile Data, Education Week; Quality Counts, and the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). For the past 19 years, the gap has continued to grow; from less than $500 per student in the early to mid-1990s to between $1,800 and $2,700 less by FY 2010-11.

May 2014

What is Equity in School Finance? discussion presentation to CSFP Advisory Committee. School Finance as of end of session.

April 2014

Buy-down of Negative Factor & Related Information

CSFP presentation to Advisory Committee

Colorado Public Radio: Why Colorado schools want their $1 billion back- listen or read the article. CPR's education reporter Jenny Brundin talks with Colorado Matters host Ryan Sarner about the $1 billion Negative Factor - April 16, 2014

March 2014

Presentation by Natalie Mullis, Chief Economist, Colorado Legislative Council to CSFP: The Colorado Economy, State Budget and TABOR Situation, March 21, 2014. Students with Disabilities Four-year Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate - U.S. and Colorado
  • CO has one of the larger achievement gaps; ranking 33 of 48
  • 4 Year Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate:
    • All students: 75%
    • Students with Disabilties: 54%
    • Colorado Percentage Point Gap: 21
  • Colorado identifies about 10% of students as needing Special Education services. The National Average is about 12%.
All district responses (84 of 178 districts; 47%) gathered by CSFP regarding the impact of two scenarios (request for $200 million to reduce the negative factor by superintendents) for the 2014-15 budgets. Responses include district replies, letters and resolutions. Responses as of March 27, 2014. (See related post in February 2014 below). CSFP Timelineof School Finance and Education Reform. We added a new page: School Finance Act / Legislation - School Finance Bills, K-12 Education Supplemental Bills with related legislative information from 2000-2013. State Education Fund (SEF) Reports from 2002-2014, and Amendment 23.

February 2014

The Colorado School Finance Project, per the request of school districts, gathered information reflecting the impact of two scenarios for the 2014-15 budgets. The superintendents requested $275 million for education - $75 million of the $275 million was earmarked, assuming no discretion on funds. The CSFP asked districts to reflect on the impact of $200 million to reduce the negative factor (this in addition to the Governor's budget). We will gladly take input for how districts will utilize the $75 million in earmarked dollars. All responses will be published: A Blast from the Past: Reminders about TABOR Rebates, Colorado Fiscal Institute Students with Disabilities Four-year Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate - U.S. and Colorado CASE Conference 2014, DBO Presentation powerpoint and handouts: Three Years of Negative Factor by district - FY 2011-12 thru FY 2013-14. Totals by district and Fiscal Year.

January 2014

Presentation by Natalie Mullis, Chief Economist, Legislative Council Staff to CSFP covering:
  • Economic and Budget Outlook
  • SB 09-228 Transfers
  • The Basics of TABOR
  • TABOR and Revenue Management
  • Memorandum of Overview of SB 09-228, Concerning an Increase in the Flexibility of the General Assembly to Determine the Appropriate Use of State Revenues - November 13, 2013
Presentation by Charlie Brown, Director, Colorado Futures Center at CSU: Financing Colorado's Future - A Fresh Outlook at The Funding of State Government. Two Issue Briefs 1)Colorado State and Local Taxes and 2)Corporate Income Taxes from Colorado Legislative Council Staff Presentation to Joint Education Committee: Overview of State Education Fund and K-12 Public School Funding - January 22, 2014, Craig Harper & Todd Herreid, JBC Budget Committee Staff & Legislative Council Staff Trends in 2013 pupil membership (updated with CDE 2013 Instruction Progam Counts).
  1. Who are Colorado's Public School Students? as of January 2014 - Highlights of several population groups
  2. Fall Student Counts for Gifted and Talented, Special Education, English Learners, Free Lunch, Trends in pupil membership.
  3. Colorado's Homeless Student Count 2005-2013.
  4. Free Lunch and Reduced Lunch Count, report on PK-12, 42% of Colorado's PK-12 students are Free and Reduced Lunch. Source: CDE Fall Free Lunch and Reduced Lunch Count.
  5. English Language Learners (ELL) and English Language Proficiency Act (ELPA), showing ELL and ELPA student count and per pupil spending trends, data source: CDE
  6. GT Students Served and Program Funding, 2005-06 thru 2013-14, Data source: CDE Instuctional Program Count.
Colorado and U.S. Teacher Salary Summary 2012-13: How Colorado teacher salaries compare to other states average teacher salary for 2012-13 and the average teacher salary percent change in constant dollars (1999-000 to 2012-13). Information from NCES using NEA, Estimates of School Statistics. Over the past 13 years, Colorado decreased the average teacher salary by 4.9%
  • Colorado estimated teacher salary 2012-13: $49,844
  • $6,539 below the U.S. Average
  • Rank: 32
Education Week, Quality Counts 2014 (2010-11 School Year, FY 2011). Colorado focus:
  1. Per Pupil Spending by State: Colorado ranks 43 of 51 in per pupil spending; spending $2,704 less per pupil than the U.S. Average of $11,864.
  2. Percent Total Taxable Resources spent by State. Colorado ranks 38th.
  3. School Finance Grade by state. Colorado ranks 39th with a D+.
  4. Achievement Gap-Closing Remains a Challenge State Map. U.S. map from Education Week: Quality Counts 2014. Colorado's gap widened by 5 points or more.
  5. Nearby States Spending More Per Pupil than Colorado. Colorado spends $2,704 less than the U.S. average.
    • Kansas spends $2,424 more than Colorado
    • Montana $5,329
    • Nebraska $4,483
    • Wyoming $10,374
2014 School Finance: from November and December 2013 Forecasts
2013

School Finance Act Summary- Colorado Department of Education

December 2013

Sequestration Survey: The CSFP is collecting information from Districts and BOCES on the possible impact of Sequestration. We began collecting information in early 2013 and will continue for 2014. 2013 State Profile Data: Our annual profile information depicts changes in K-12 funding and counts (comparing 1992-93 to 2006-07 to 2010-11 to 2011-12). Previous State Profile information. CASB Convention 2013 presentations: Update to the CSFP timeline: Colorado's School Finance & Education Reform Timeline 1980 - 2013, updated November 2013.  Also available in the Timeline page.

November 2013

Final results of November 2013 school district Bond, BEST, Mill Levy Override, Technology Mill Levy elections. Building Excellent Schools Today (BEST) overview of the BEST program (powerpoint) and PDF. Map of BEST Projects Funded by Districts through FY2012-13. Overview of BEST as of November 2013:
  • Helping over 127,490 students statewide
  • 325 School Facilities impacted
  • 209 Grants funded -over $1 Billion funded out of $2.48 Billion requested
  • Helping create and support over 16,730 jobs as of December 2012
  • Statewide Facility Assessment March 2010 - over $17.9 billion in Capital Construction needs

October 2013

Center on Budget and Policy Priorities: New School Year Brings More Cuts in State Funding for Schools. School finance 2014: The Negative Factor

September 2013

2013 Floods - preliminary reporting on flooding in districts, September 25, 2013 (Colorado Education News). Districts seeking Bond, BEST, Mill Levy Override or Technology Mill Levy in November 2013 - working copy that will be updated with the results of the November election.

August 2013:

CSFP and APA presentation to CASB members: School Finance, Past, Present, Future. Sequestration Impacts on District/BOCES 2013-14 Budgets: The Colorado School Finance Project (CSFP) is collecting information from districts and BOCES about the effects of sequestration on their 2013-14 budgets: DRAFT 2013 Sequestration Impact Survey, as of August 2013. Note this is a working document/draft. Updated: Future School Finance Act per SB13-213 (source: CDE's website) - August 2013 update. SB13-213 Detailed District Model (CDE) - Updated August 2013 - SB 13-213 Detailed District Funding Model - Final July 2013 CASE PowerPoint School Finace Updates SB12-213 Legislative Council Tables - Updated August 2013 July 2013: CASE Conference: SB13-213 An Act, Article 54.5 Public School Finance Act National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): US Average and Colorado Per Pupil Spending - Adjusted for Inflation FY 1996-FY 2011. Adjusted for inflation, Colorado spent $-1,816 less per pupil than the national average in FY2011. The full NCES report: NCES Revenues & Expenditures for Public Elementary & Secondary Education: School Year 2010-11 (Fiscal Year 2011) is available here.

June 2013:

June Forecast: Colorado Secretary of State: Petition format approved: Initiative 22. Ballot Title Setting Board: Ballot title and submission clause. CSFP's annual update to our timeline: Colorado's School Finance & Education Reform Timeline 1980-2013 - newly updated July, 2013.

May 2013:

Highlights and CSFP reports using the recently released US Census, Public Education Finances 2011 data. Data range from 1991-92 t0 2010-11: Opinion of Colorado Supreme Court, State v Lobato, May 28, 2013.

April 2013:

SB13-213 (Changes to the School Finance Act for 2014-15 and beyond, pending passage of a ballot measure for increased funding). NOTE: See updates in August 2013. Proposed Initiatives for Funding Public Schools: CSFP: 2013 Proposed Initiatives for Funding Public Schools DRAFT overview as of April 30, 2013 2013-14 Initiative Filings, Agendas & Results - Title Board - Secretary of State's Office SB13-260 Rerevised: Sequestration Impacts on District/BOCES 2013-14 Budgets: The Colorado School Finance Project (CSFP) is collecting information from districts and BOCES about the effects of sequestration on their 2013-14 budgets: DRAFT 2013 Sequestration Impact Survey, as of April 23, 2013. Note this is a working document/draft, we will update the information in the coming weeks. Recent presentation materials:

March 2013:

The proposed legislation around school finance (SB13-213) and the proposed district data financial runs are available. The proposed school finance will move quickly over that next few weeks so stay tuned in.
  1. SB13-213 (as introduced March 8, 2013)
  2. CDE: SB13-213 School Funding Models Legislative Council Table (Runs) - Note that SB13-213 data models are for 2014-15, pending passage of a ballot measure in 2013.
The oral arguments to the Supreme Court for the Lobato v. State of Colorado case on Thursday, March 7th, at 9:30 AM.

February 2013:

The CSFP created a booklet of CSFP information to present to the House and Senate Education Committees on February 13, 2013. The booklet contains information compiled by CSFP including: history of School Finance, who/where are Colorado's students? Principles of a School Finance System, New Reforms in the Past 5 Years, Where to Begin When Changing a School Finance Formula (Legislative Role), Resource Needs, an Update on the Costing Out Model and a variety of other summary documents. Booklets from past years are available on the School Finance 101 page.

A Costing Out Study works to understand the resources necessary for students/teachers/schools/districts/states to meet education standards and requirements. Studies have been done in over 20 states and they have been commissioned by Governors, Legislatures, Departments of Education and advocacy groups.

Effective School Expenditures, Research-Based Options for Education Policymaking, National Education Policy Center, School of Education, University of Colorado, William Mathis

Colorado 21: Building A World-Class Education System: Senator Johnston's Office presented to CSFP for discussion on February 8, 2013.

January 2013:

Trends in 2012 pupil membership (updated with CDE 2012 Instructional Program Counts)
    1. Who are Colorado's Public School Students? as of January 2013, Highlights of several population groups.
    2. Fall Student Counts for Gifted and Talented, Special Education, English Learners, Free Lunch, Trends in pupil membership.
    3. Colorado's Homeless Student Count 2005-2012.
    4. Free Lunch and Reduced Lunch Count, report on PK-12, 41% of Colorado's PK-12 students are Free and Reduced Lunch. Source: CDE Fall Free Lunch and Reduced Lunch Count.
    5. English Language Learners (ELL) and English Language Proficiency Act (ELPA), showing ELL and ELPA student count and per pupil spending trends, Data source: CDE.
    6. GT Students Served and Program Funding, 2005-06 thru 2012-13.
CSFP pupil membership information is available in Student and Funding Trends

Education Week, Quality Counts 2013: Where does Colorado rank compared to what other states spend per pupil? Data: School Year 2009-10, Fiscal Year 2010

  1. Per Pupil Spending by State. Colorado ranks 42nd of 51 in per pupil spending; spending $2,518 less per pupil than the U.S. Average
  2. Overall Grade and Per Pupil Spending. Colorado's grade is C- and ranks 37th. Grade: Education Week's Quality Counts tracks key education indicators and then grades the states on their policy efforts and outcomes. For more information: www.edweek.org/media/QualityCounts2013_Release.PDF
  3. Percent Total Taxable Resources Spent by State. Colorado ranks 37th.
  4. Nearby States Spending More Per Pupil than Colorado. Colorado spends -$2,518 less per pupil than the national average.
How much more than Colorado do nearby states spend?
  • Kansas spends $2,479 more than Colorado
  • Montana $4,975
  • Nebraska $4,243
  • New Mexico $1,664
  • Wyoming $9,508
2012

School Finance Act Summary- Colorado Department of Education

December 2012:

CSFP School Finance presentation on local revenue to the TAG (Technical Advisory Group) of the School Finance Partnership (SFP).

Greg Smith, Executive Director, Colorado PERA, presentation about PERA to CSFP.

David Sciarra, Education Law Center: Report on the Cost of Education (NJ), New Jersey Department of Education, Division of Finance, Office of School Funding.

BEST: Statistics for the BEST program through the 2012 Grant Cycle, presentation at 2012 CASB Convention by Ted Hughes (CDE), Dave Van Sant (Chair, BEST Board), Lyndon Burnett (Vice-Chair, BEST Board and CASB Board), Mary Wickersham (Senior Director, The Piton Foundation) as of November 2012 highlights:

  • Helping over 113,800 students statewide
  • 284 School Facilities impacted
  • 181 Grants funded - $979 Million
  • Helping create and support over 16,730 jobs
  • Statewide Facility Assessment - over $17.9 billion in Capital Construction needs.
Additional information on BEST is available here.

November 2012:

2012 CASB Conference - The School Finance Puzzle and School Finance is More Than a Formula or a Number highlighting the background of school finance, Revenue (where does it come from, goal of 1994 act, today's mills) and the 2012/13 Discussions and Options.

The Office of State Planning and Budgeting (OSPB) presentation: Perspective on Colorado's Budget and Economy, November 2012.

CU's Buechner Institute for Governance, School of Public Affairs presentation on Efficiency in Colorado State Government Series, P-12 Working Report.

Capital Construction (Bond, BEST) & General Operations (Mill Levy Override, Local Sales Tax) District Election Results.

Note: you may need to press "refresh" to view the most recent file. Overview of the election results.

Additional information on District elections is available here.

October 2012:

Moving Forward - Ideas and Solutions (Amicus Briefs - Lobato) - One page briefing re: What revenue is available now? What does TABOR say? 2010 Senate Joint Resolution E Concerning a Request for a Comprehensive Tax Study (bi-partisan support), Other issues to Consider.

BEST (Building Excellent Schools Today) video by Stefan Welsh - comments by Superintendents from Sangre de Cristo, Kim and Creede school districts and Kathy Gebhardt describing:

  1. A new, safe learning environment for a district that received a BEST grant (and passed a matching Override Local Mill Levy).
  2. The status of older schools in districts with low property value.
  3. The BEST legislation's impact on the safety of students in Colorado school buildings.

BEST (Building Excellent Schools Today) presentation by David Van Sant (Chair, State Capital Construction Assistance Board) and Ted Hughes (Director, Division of Capital Construction Assistance, CDE) describing How BEST began, the Capital Construction Assistance Board, Where does BEST money come from? and Types of Grants.

What is the Impact of Inadequate School Facilities on Student Learning? Excerpt: A number of studies have shown that many school systems, particularly those in urban and high-poverty areas, are plagued by decaying buildings that threaten the health, safety, and learning opportunities of students. Good facilities appear to be an important precondition for student learning, provided that other conditions are present that support a strong academic program in the school. A growing body of research has linked student achievement and behavior to the physical building conditions and overcrowding. Read the full report: Impact of Inadequate School Facilities on Student Learning - US Department of Education. Additional information on BEST is available here.

November 2012 elections:

Districts with a Bond, BEST Matching, Mill Override, or Sales Tax Increase on the ballot for November 2012 (DRAFT as of October 22, 2012). CSFP continues to modify the report as we receive updates, please check back for the most recent draft. Overview draft of the November 2012 elections: Overview District Bond, BEST Matching, Local Mill Override, Sales Tax Increase Elections - updated as of October 22, 2012.

Additional information on district elections is available here.

September 2012:

Information on the Lobato case is on our Court Cases page, scroll to the Lobato Summary tab.

August 2012:

Michael Griffith's (Senior Financial Analyst, Education Commission of the States) presentation on the Current Trends in Education Finance and Emerging Issues in K-12 Education.

CSFP presentation to University of Denver (DU) class on School Finance. 2012 State Profile Data:Our annual profile information depicting changes in K-12 funding and counts (comparing 1992-93 to 2005-06 to 2009-10 to 2010-11). Historical information: State Profile Data.

July 2012:

Trends in Per Pupil Spending between Colorado and the national average, 1991-92 through 2008-09. Data sources include U.S. Census Bureau, Colorado State Profile Data, Education Week Quality Counts, National Center for Education Statistics. For the past 16 years, the funding gap between Colorado per pupil spending and the national average continues to grow.

CSFP and APA presentation at the 2012 CASE Annual Education Leadership Convention, What's New with School Finance? Colorado Public Radio interviewed the Colorado School Finance Project about the continuing classroom cuts for Colorado school districts. Listen here. U.S. Census Bureau, Public Education Finances: 2010 (2012 update). Highlights of Colorado’s data:
  • The U.S. Census Bureau’s Per Pupil Spending Amounts by State: 2009-10 indicates Colorado is  $-1,762 dollars below the national average.
  • Current gap between Colorado and average US spending is $1,762, the 2nd largest gap since 1991-92.
  • Since 2002-03 (7 years) Colorado’s ranking has fallen from the 30th to 41st in per pupil spending.
  • As Colorado has increased per pupil spending over the years, the average per pupil spending in the US has increased more.
CSFP created the following reports reflecting Colorado's Education Finance Data Rankings: U.S. Census Bureau: Public Education Finances: 2010, Highlighting Colorado's rankings:

June 2012:

School district budget cut conversations for School Year 2012-13 - Ongoing discussions. Districts make final decisions by June 30, 2012.

  • Cuts continue for the 3rd and 4th year
  • Drawing down reserves
  • Concerns in reduction of administrators with the implementation of Educator Effectiveness
  • Furlough days continue and expand
  • Class sizes continue to increase
  • Lowered graduation requirements
  • Reduce facilities and/or close schools

Cuts reported by individual school districts for 2012-13 Media reported cuts for school districts for 2012-13 Trends in the cuts for 2012-13

Timeline of Colorado's School Finance & Education Reform 1980-2012 (Updated through 2012 Legislative session.) Video of the Rural Education Challenge panel discussion and forum May 31, 2012: unique challenges facing rural Colorado school districts with a panel of rural educators.

May 2012

Some basic information regarding property taxes, state and local share, and mill levy overrides:

April 2012:

Negative Factor Increases: 12.94% in 2011-12, increases to 16.1% for 2012-13, "Flat Funding?" - Districts Continue to Cut. School districts face another year of drastic cuts as the Negative Factor continues to increase. Options to keep cuts away from the classroom are unrealistic. David Sciarra, Education Law Center (ELC), presentation to CSFP Fair School Funding - Colorado and booklet Is School Funding Fair? A National Report Card.

March 2012:

Two reports included in presentation to House and Senate Education Committees: Overview of Where to Begin When Changing A School Finance Formula? - Legislative Role. Information on Colorado's School Districts grouped by district size (student count) including the number & percentage of students, and Free/Reduced Lunch students. CSFP and Augenblick, Palaich & Associates (APA) presentation booklet to House and Senate Education Committees: Overview of School Finance and Where to Begin when Changing a School Finance Formula? Legislative Role. Additional CSFP Booklets are available on the School Finance 101 page. The Principles of School Finance: What is a School Finance System? How does Student Count fit in?

February 2012:

A couple of new summaries This information can also be accessed in the Student Trends tab on the left of this page. Colorado School Finance Myths and Facts, contributed to and complied by a group of Colorado school district Chief Financial Officers.

January 2012:

Quick Facts on School Finance Formulas and Public School Trust Lands. Augenblick, Palaich and Associates powerpoint Using Resources Applied to Measurements for Teacher Pay. CDE's January 2012 Funding Comparison from 2011-12 to proposed 2012-13 funding is available here. Column AK is the projected change in funding in 2012-13. Column V contains the 2012-13 Estimated Negative Factor. We will post updates as they become available. Survey Results: 3 Years of Budget Cuts to Colorado School Districts. At the end of 2011, the CSFP surveyed school districts regarding their budget reductions over the past three years (2009-10, 2010-11, 2011-12).
2011

School Finance Act Summary- Colorado Department of Education

December 2011

Key Findings in Lobato v. State Trial Court Decision by Children's Voices. Presentation at the Colorado School Finance Partnership meeting on December 13, 2011: Litigation - Lobato Adequacy/Costing Out Process and Uses, by Children's Voices, CSFP and APA. Lobato v. State decision in favor of plaintiffs, Children's Voices News Release: Unprecedented Victory for Colorado's Public School Children, read the Judge's ruling here. Skip to the Conclusions of Law here, pages 168 to 183. CSFP presentations at CASB Conference: CAP4K Second Interim Costing Out Power Point, by Augenblick, Palaich and Associates and CSFP.

November 2011

Bond, BEST and Local Mill Levy Override election results for 2011.

Lobato Remedy Presentation from November 10, 2011. Remedy Components for Lobato (DRAFT).

October 2011

Presentation on Financing Colorado's Economic Future to CSFP by DU's Center for Economic Future.

Presentation on An Exercise in Uncertainty: The Outlook for the Colorado Economy and Education Budget to CSFP by Natalie Mullis, Colorado Legislative Council staff.

The Second Interim Report on the Analysis of Costs of CAP4K (Colorado's Achievement Plan for Kids - SB 212 of 2008) by Augenblick, Palaich, and Associations and the Colorado School Finance Project. The third and final report will be submitted in October 2012. The First Interim Report was completed in March 2010.

September 2011

Great Education/Futures presentation on Proposition 103.

From the Colorado State Demography Office: Demographic Trends: Understanding the Impact of a Changing Population on Colorado, Rural Consortitum, June 2011.

2011 CSFP State Profile Data: Our annual profile information depicting changes in K-12 funding and counts (comparing 1992-93 to 2004-05 to 08-09 to 09-10).

CSFP's Characteristics of Colorado's School Population: Two charts indicating the change over time of Colorado's K-12 population, 1) state student count, 2) Student counts for At-Risk, SPED, ELPA, ELL served 3+ years (no state funding).

July 2011

CSFP presentation at CASE Conference: Ups & Downs, What's Up with School Finance.

Final District Budget Cut Conversations 2011-12. From February 2011 through June 2011 the CSFP assembled district budget cut conversations from media reports and directly reported to us by districts.

June 2011

Timeline of Colorado's School Finance & Education Reform 1980-2012 (Updated through 2011 Legislative session) Growth trend in Colorado's K-12 homeless population and Free Lunch and Reduced Lunch populations. U.S. Census Bureau data for Per Pupil Spending and Revenue 1) Spending Amounts by State and 2) three charts comparing Colorado to U.S Spending, Revenue and the historical trend of Colorado's ranking.

April 2011

Colorado Costing Out P12 Education, presentation by APA. A Rural Needs Study: Improving CDE Services to Rural School Districts, prepared for CDE by Phil Fox and David Van Sant, Ph.D. Results of an educational cost study conducted by Augenblick, Palaich and Associates (APA), commissioned by Children’s Voices as part of its school finance adequacy lawsuit, Lobato v. State of Colorado. Overview of Costing Out Analysis presented by APA to CSFP on March 25, 2011. Exploration of School District Consolidation by the CSFP and Augenblick, Palaich & Associates (APA). Average Daily Membership Study (ADM)- CSFP, APA and University of Colorado Denver presented the findings of the Average Daily Membership study (powerpoint), SB 10-008 to the Joint Senate and House Education Committees, full report Average Daily Membership (ADM) study. CSFP presented an overview of the Colorado School Finance Project to the Joint Senate and House Education Committees. Additional booklets on School Finance are available on the School Finance 101 page. CSFP contracted with APA to look at historical data (1994 through 2007-08) for fifty states and DC regarding spending, relationship of various characteristics and what has changed over time. Brief overview and six maps (2 per page): Change in Enrollment and Need, Performance and Size, Wealth and Effort. CDE's Colorado Student population by Race & Ethnicity pie charts - Fall 2009-2010. Quality Counts 2011 from Education Week Updates:
  • Line graph indicating how much more nearby states spend per pupil than Colorado.
  • Bar graph comparing Colorado and nearby states per pupil spending with the national average.
  • Bar and line graph comparing Colorado and the US Average Per Pupil Expenditures
  • Chart of Per Pupil Expenditures comparing Colorado funding to the National average and nearby states
2010

School Finance Act Summary- Colorado Department of Education

2010 Reports

2009

School Finance Act Summary- Colorado Department of Education

2009 Reports:

The CSFP participated in two presentations at the CASB Conference.

2009 Legislative Interim Committees:

CSFP's Characteristics of Colorado's School Population: Charts document Colorado's total enrollment from 1992-93 through 2007-08. A second chart illustrates the the number of students receiving Special Services from 1992-93 through 2007-08. Special Education, At-risk (free lunch) and ELPA students are included in the chart. Maximizing the Stimulus, Removing the Arveschoug-Bird Provisions by Colorado Fiscal Policy Institute. Balancing Taxes, Education Funding and Long-Term Economic Development by Dr. Richard G. Sims, Chief Economist, National Education Association. A brief overview: School Finance Formula, Rational and Perspective. CSFP's Presentation to House and Senate Education Committees. The Relationship Between Allocation of Finances, Amount of Finances and Student Achievement: A spring 2008 study funded by CSFP found close links between funding specific, systemic student education initiatives and increased student achievement. Read the Executive Summary and Key Points of this study, performed by APA for CSFP. View APA's powerpoint (pdf) for CSFP analyzing the relationship between the allocation of finances, amount of finances and student achievement. Using data from Education Week Quality Counts 2009 report, CSFP created several reports/charts.
2008

School Finance Act Summary- Colorado Department of Education

2008 Reports:

CSFP and APA powerpoint at CASE Convention: Making the Connection between CAP4K (SB08-212), school finance and the Costing Out Analysis. Learn about what other states are doing:
  • Maryland - Bridge to Excellence in Public Schools Act 2002 (includes 2010 Update)
  • New Jersey - All Children, All Communities
  • Delaware - Vision 2015
  • Pennsylvania - Costing Out the Resources Needed to Meet Pennsylvania's Public Education Goals
  • Massachusetts - Ready for 21st Century Success
US Census Bureau data for 05-06 (released in 2008) comparing Per Pupil Spending and Amount Spent per $1000 of Personal Income for Colorado and neighboring States. Mill Levy Stabilization:
  • CSFP response to the most common questions about the Mill Levy Stabilization in SB07-199  
  • FAQ's and effects of the Mill Levy Stabilization
  • 2008 update in process: Adequacy/Costing Out Analysis
  • US Census Bureau and the National Center of Education Statistics (NCES):CSFP created two charts related to Per Pupil Spending in Colorado and nearby states. Data from the US Census Bureau used to rank Colorado and nearby states on the amount spent on K-12 per $1,000 of personal income.
  • CSFP's Characteristics of Colorado's School Population: Charts document Colorado's total enrollment from 1992-93 through 2005-06. A second chart illustrates the the number of students receiving Special Services from 1992-93 through 2005-06. Special Education, At-risk (free lunch) and ELPA students are included in the chart. Education Week, Quality Counts 2008: Synopsis gives perspective of how Colorado compares to the national average and the rest of the country.
2007

2007 Reports:

Mill Levy Stabilization: CSFP response to the most common questions about the Mill Levy Stabilization in SB07-199, Mill Levy Stabilization FAQs and a description of the effects of Mill Levy Stabilization.
Colorado's Mill Levy History: CSFP Mill Levy History: School Finance 1994-95 to 2005-06. Total Program Mill Levy by County for each District for 1994-95 and 2004-05 (5 pgs). Challenges for Adolescent English Language Learners: Alliance for Excellent Education reported on Adolescent English Language Learners for the Carnegie Corporation in late 2006. Their report Double the Work: Challenges and Solutions to Acquiring Language and Academic Literacy for Adolescent English Language Learners sheds new light on this subject. Read their press release for the highlights of the report.

Other Information from 2007

2007 Presentations:
2006

2006 Reports:

2005

2005 Reports

Interim Committee

Specific to Colorado (Charts):

How Colorado Compares Nationally: