CSFP maintains several different types of historical information:
- Budget Stabilization / Negative Factor
- District Budget Cut Discussions beginning in FY 2010-11
- District Elections for Bond, Bond/BEST, and Mill Levy Overrides from 2010 to present
- Legislative Interim Committees related to school finance and school districts, from 1995 to present
- School Finance Act Legislation from 1988 to present
- State Profile Data from 1994 to present
- Rural Funding from 2017-2023
Below are the archival reports and documents posted on our Home page beginning in 2005
2022
December
CSFP'S ANNUAL STATE PROFILE REPORT We have compiled this information for 20 years now. The 2022 State Profile compares audited data noting changes between 2020-21 to the base year of 1992. Data is audited which lags behind the current year. It is important to know that this data reflects the first full pandemic year. Three reports from the state profile data: 1. 2022 State Profile Overview (1-page overview) 2. 2022 State Profile Charts & Highlights (2 pages) 3. The 2022 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 CSFP New Board Member Orientation Presentation at CASB - December 1-2, 2022 New Board Member Handbook CSFP Presentation at Aurora Public Schools - December 6, 2022 JBC Staff Budget Briefing FY 2023-24 - Department of Early Childhood - December 8, 2022 Budget Brief Budget Briefing Summary JBC Hearing for the Department of Education - December 9, 2022 December 2022 Forecast - December 20, 2022 Legislative Council Economic and Revenue Forecast Report Legislative Council Economic and Revenue Forecast Presentation Consumer Price Index Forecast OSPB Colorado Economic and Fiscal Outlook Presentation OSPB Colorado Economic and Fiscal Outlook Report OSPB Colorado Outlook Supplemental MaterialsNovember
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 SummaryOctober
OCTOBER 2022
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- Morning Remarks with Tracie Rainey presentation
- Keynote Speaker Carol Hedges - "It's time for Audacity"
- Keynote Speaker David Flaherty - "Telling Your School District’s Story: Rebuilding Confidence and Trust Among Parents & Non-Parents"
- Morning Session with Tracie Rainey and Susan Meek - "Proactively Telling Your Story"
- ESSER I Key Takeaways Handout
- Legislative Council Economic & Revenue Forecast Report
- Legislative Council Presentation Slides
- Legislative Council Consumer Price Index Forecast
- OSPB Colorado Economic and Fiscal Outlook Report
- OSPB Colorado Economic and Fiscal Outlook Presentation Slides
- OSPB Colorado Outlook Supplemental Materials
- "Colorado legislature faces inflationary budget crunch as risk of recession grows" - Jesse Paul, Colorado Sun, September 22, 2022
"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, 2022June
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- Legislative Council Economic & Revenue Forecast Report
- Legislative Council Presentation Slides
- Legislative Council Consumer Price Index Forecast
- OSPB Colorado Economic and Fiscal Outlook Report
- OSPB Colorado Economic and Fiscal Outlook Presentation Slides
- OSPB Colorado Outlook Supplemental Materials
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, 2022April
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, 2022March
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:- Democrats formalize plan for expanded preschool, early childhood department. But will Colorado have enough teachers?- Erica Breunlin, March 11, 2022
- Ballot measure would steer part of TABOR refunds to Colorado schools- Erica Meltzer, Chalkbeat, March 4, 2022
- Education groups want more funding for teachers, so they're pushing a November ballot initiative that could do just that- Jenny Brundin, Colorado Public Radio, March 3, 2022
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 chartJanuary
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 GustafsonNovember
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, 2021October
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, 2021September
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 districtsAugust
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 chartJuly
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 2021-22May
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, 2021April
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, 2021March
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, 2021February
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, 2020November 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, 2020October 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, 2020September 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- Colorado Legislative Council staff
- Office of State Planning and Budget
- Video Recording of meeting
- Colorado Department of Education Guidance on Learning Pods
- Colorado Department of Education CARES Act Fact Sheet, August 2020
- Colorado State Board of Education Rules for Administration of Public Schools Finance Act 1994- September 10, 2020
- Follow-up from Colorado Department of Education- Commissioner Anthes' responses and resources
- Colorado PERA presentation- Jeff Sprole and Michael Steppat, Colorado PERA
- Ballot Issues with Fiscal Implication for Education– Lisa Weil and Betsy Bevis, Great Education
- Teacher pay penalty dips but persists in 2019– Economic Policy Institute with the Center on Wage and Employment Dynamics, September 17, 2020
- Amendment B explained: What repealing the Gallagher Amendment would mean for Colorado and your property taxes– The Colorado Sun, September 29, 2020
- Colorado’s substitute teacher shortage, worsened by coronavirus, could force some schools to close. Again.– The Colorado Sun, September 28, 2020
- Amendment B puts spotlight on Gallagher’s mixed legacy of budget cuts, tax relief, and inequality in Colorado– The Colorado Sun, September 15, 2020
- Opinion: Prop 116 would only worsen the severe lack of school funding in Colorado- The Colorado Sun, September 10, 2020
- Schooling during COVID creates some labor challenges for Garfield County schools- Post Independent, September 7, 2020
- Could some of Colorado's urban districts catch onto a four-day week?- Denver Post, September 7, 2020
- Colorado school reopening updates: School districts can continue serving free meals to all students- Chalkbeat, September 1, 2020
- YouTube report from TheDenverChannel.com
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 1982July 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 HereJune 2020
CSFP’s June 2020 VIRTUAL Advisory Meeting- Video Recording of meeting
- Economic & Revenue Forecast for CSFP– Kate Watkins, Legislative Council Staff
- Initiative 271 Update– Lisa Weil and Betsy Bevis, Great Education and FairTax Colorado
- Legislative Wrap-up– Tracie Rainey and Justin Silverstein, Colorado School Finance Project
- Colorado Legislative Council staff
- Office of State Planning and Budget
- HB20-1418 Public School Finance bill
- HB20-1418 Public School Finance Fiscal Note
- HB20-1418 Public School Finance Fiscal Note Amended (6/7/2020)
CSFP School Finance Act PRELIMINARY Modeling- Five percent from COL factor and rest from Budget Stabilization Factor
June What We're Reading:
- Colorado lawmakers made billions in cuts to finish the budget. Now Gov. Polis may need to make even more.-The Colorado Sun, June 18, 2020
- Students of Color And The Vulnerable Await Fallout Of Colorado Coronvirus-Induced School Budget Cuts- Colorado Public Radion, June 8, 2020
- Amid school funding cuts, Colorado bill lays foundation for future fiscal reform- Chalkbeat, June 5, 2020
May 2020
LEGISLATIVE UPDATE:- Repeal Property Tax Assessment Rates Bill Text
- Repeal Property Tax Assessment Rates Fiscal Note
- Colorado schools could be $490 million short next year. Lawmakers call for repealing Gallagher tax limit.- Chalkbeat, May 28, 2020
- Approved Uses for CARES $s
- Coronavirus Relief Fund Allocations(Excel spreadsheet)
- General Fund Overview (5/22/2020)
- General Fund Overview (5/20/2020)
- General Fund Overview (5/19/2020)
- JBC Staff Memo: Additional School Finance Balancing Options (Outside of the Long Bill)
- JBC Staff Memo: Revised Long Bill Recommendations for School Finance (OSPB Forecast)
- Recording of meeting
- Video
- Colorado Department of Education- Dr. Katy Anthes and Jennifer Okes
- Education Stabilization Fund Program (ESSER) Preliminary Funding Allocations
- Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Stakeholder Survey
- Initiative 271 Update- Lisa Weil and Betsy Bevis, Great Education and FairTax Colorado
- Office of State Budget and Planning Budget Update- Luke Teater, OSPB
- Emergency Tax Presentation- Carol Hedges, Colorado Fiscal Institute
- Letter to Lawmakers and Governor- signed by multiple community supporters
- Colorado Legislative Council staff
- Office of State Planning and Budget
- JoAnn Groff, Property Tax Administrator
- Presentation documents
- Excel file for RAR impact on school districts- pulled from presentation documents
- Interactive District Snapshot Tool (Google Sheets)
- Interactive District Snapshot Tool (Excel workbook)
- Interactive Percentage Cut Tool (Google Sheets)
- Interactive Percentage Cut Tool (Excel workbook)
- Budget Stabilization Factor by District Total Program - Pre-BSF, Current BSF, Additional 5% in BSF
- Budget Stabilization Factor by District Total Program - Additional 10% in BSF and Additional 15% in BSF
- Attachment E: BSF by District- Percent when hitting base
- Memorandum: Addendum to Department of Education Budget Balancing Packet (05/06/2020)
- Staff Budget Balancing FY2019-20 & FY2020-21 Packet(4/23/2020)
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 Tax Calculator - provided by CSFP
- Polling results notice- Keating Research, May 20, 2020
- Polling results- Keating Research, May 20, 2020
- Initiative 271 Tax Changes- Colorado School Finance Project, April 2020
- Chart of State Rankings per $1000 of personal income- Colorado School Finance Project, April 2020
Wednesday, May 27 @ 12:00 p.m.
May What We're Reading:- Budget woes causing headaches for school districts- The Pueblo Chieftan, May 4, 2020
- Schools Face Nightmare Scenario After Coronavirus Crisis- U.S. News & World Report, May 1, 2020
- Colorado School Districts Look To Trim Millions, Meaning Less Pay, Possibly Fewer Schools And Fewer Schooldays- Colorado Public Radio, May 6, 2020
April 2020
CSFP's April 2020 VIRTUAL Advisory Meeting:
- Recording of meeting
- COVID Update- Colorado Department of Education
- Office of State Budget and Planning Budget Update
- Initiative 271 Explained- Vision 2020 and FairTax Colorado
CASB Conversations: Budgeting During a State Fiscal Crisis
A look at the Budget Stabilization Factor:- Budget Stabilization Factor as a Percent: Looking at Potential Consequences in 2020-21
- 2008-2021 Budget Stabilization Factor: Looking at Potential Consequences in 2020-21
****COVID-19 UPDATES and INFORMATION****
- Colorado lawmakers are looking at how to close a $3 billion budget shortfall. Here's the roadmap.- Colorado Sun, April 27, 2020
- COVID-19 State Budget Shortfalls Could Be Largest on Record- Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, April 14, 2020
- Colorado's Government Braces For Up To 3 Years of Cuts- Colorado Public Radio, April 7, 2020
- Joint Budget Committee Plan of Action Letter- April 9, 2020
- Colorado Governments Look At Cuts As COVID-19 Burns Budgets- Colorado Public Radio, April 7, 2020
- Colorado Supreme Court rules legislature can extend its lawmaking term after coronavirus pause- Colorado Sun, April 1, 2020
- Colorado Supreme Court Response to Interrogatory on House Joint Resolution 20-1006- April 1, 2020
- The Impact of the COVID-19 Recession on Teaching Positions- Learning Policy Institute, April 30, 2020
- An Emergency Tax: TABOR to the Rescue?- Colorado Fiscal Institute, April 29, 2020
- COVID-19 and School Funding: What to Expect and What You Can Do- Learning Policy Institute, April 22, 2020
- States Need Significantly More Fiscal Relief to Slow the Emerging Deep Recession- Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, April 14, 2020
March 2020
****COVID-19 UPDATES and INFORMATION****
- Democrats in the Colorado legislature jostle over whether they must return to the Capitol to continue their coronavirus pause– Colorado Sun, March 30, 2020
- Colorado Legislature Could Extend Its Break By Weeks, But There's Disagreement Over Whether They Have To Make That Decision In Person- Colorado Public Radio, March 29, 2020
- Colorado Department of Education's Coronavirus Resource Page Money for technology, cleaning, and summer learning: What the coronavirus stimulus bill means for schools- Chalkbeat, March 27, 2020
- Colorado's legislature will not resume on Monday as planned. It's an open question when they will return- Colorado Sun, March 25, 2020
- Colorado Teachers' of the Year Letter- March 23, 2020
- Press Release: JBC Action Postponed Until April 7 at Earliest- March 20, 202
- 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:- Colorado Legislative Council staff
- Office of State Planning and Budget
- - Colorado scrutinizes oil and gas tax breaks as severance taxes drop and state budget gets tight- Colorado Sun, March 23, 2020
- How a coronavirus downturn could affect Colorado's education budget- Chalkbeat, March 19, 2020
- Landmark Education Bill Goes to Maryland Legislature- National Center on Education and the Economy, February 27, 2020
- Making the Grade 2019: How Fair is School Funding in State?- Education Law Center
February 2020
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- Tax Effort and Fiscal Capacity 2019-20 including an overall summary and detail by school district
- Tax Effort and Fiscal Capacity 2019-20 Summary (portrait mode)
- Tax Effort and Fiscal Capacity 2019-20 Summary (landscape mode)
- Tax Effort and Fiscal Capacity 2019-20 by Assessed Value and type of Mill – includes pie chart and detail by school district
- Total Assessed Value 2019-20
- Assessed Value per Pupil 2019-20
- Total Program Mills 2019-20 (mills each district levies as part of the school finance act)
- Mill Levy Overrides 2019-20 (voter-approved)
- How much does one mill raise?
- How much does on mill raise per student?
- Tax Effort and Fiscal Capacity 2019-20 including an overall summary and detail by school district
- Vision 2020 update– Abby Vining, Colorado Fiscal Institute
- Vision 2020 Policy One-pager– Great Schools Thriving Commuities meeting
- GSTC Vision 2020 One page Explainer Salida School Board Work Session– February 11, 2020
- Draft bill 20-0291
- Bill Summary
- Uniform Mill Year 1 BSF Buydown financial run– district-level data
- Uniform Mill Full Implementation- BSF + MLO Equalization– district-level data
- MLO Equalization State Match Estimates– district-level data
- Landmark Education Bill Goes to Maryland Legislature- National Center on Education and the Economy, February 27, 2020
- Teacher Shortages Across the Nation and Colorado: Similar Issues, Varying Magnitudes– Colorado Department of Higher Education, December 2017
- Making the Grade 2019: How Fair is School Funding in State?– Education Law Center
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- Adjustments to Total Program Funding for 2019-20 School Year HB20-1260 (bill text)-
- HB20-1260 (fiscalnote)
- Memo from JBC re:Supplemental Comeback for FY2019-20
- Total Assessed Value 2019-20
- Assessed Value per Pupil 2019-20
- Total Program Mills 2019-20 - (mills each district levies as part of the school finance act)
- CORRECTED: Mill Levy Overrides 2019-20 - (voter-approved)
- Colorado State Economic & Budget Outlook– Kate Watkins, Chief Economist, Legislative Council Staff
- Vision2020 Policy Input Tool 2.0– Abby Vining and Carol Hedges, Colorado Fiscal Institute
- Vision2020 Input Tool Kit– Abby Vining and Carol Hedges, Colorado Fiscal Institute
- Teacher Pay By State 2020- Interactive Map, World Population Review, retrieved January 27, 2020
- Small school districts say move to 4-day week attract, retain teachers- News Tribune, January 26, 2020
2019
December 2019
December 2019 Forecast- Legislative Council staff
- Office of State Planning and Budget
- 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.
- New Board Member Training - December 5, 2019
- Goals, Priorities, Budgets, and Equity: How do they fit together?- December 7, 2019
- What Will It Take to Move Toward More Adequate and Equitable Funding? - December 7, 2019
- Low-Income Schools Need More Funding. Here's How Colorado Lawmakers Want To Tweak The Formula To Make That Happen- Colorado Public Radio, December 17, 2019
- Four ways that tinkering with Colorado's school funding formula could impact state's districts- The Colorado Sun, December 16, 2019
- Fairer to whom? Colorado considers redividing the pie with a new school finance formula- Chalkbeat, December 13, 2019
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- “School Distict Uniform Total Program Mill Levy” Bill DRAFT
- Uniform Total Program Mill Levy: LLS NO. 20-0291.02
- Part calculator, part crystal ball: Colorado lawmaker's simulator testing tweaks to state's school-funding formula - The Colorado Sun, November 27, 2019
- With Proposition CC's failure, Colorado Democrats face a budget crunch in 2020. Here are their 4 options to address it.- The Colorado Sun, November 27, 2019
- State Defines Line It Would Draw for Allowing 4-day School Weeks- Oklahoma Watch, November 23, 2019
- Colorado districts aren't getting enough state money to maintain schools and attract. So they're turning to local taxpayers.- The Colorado Sun, November 8, 2019
- 'It's huge for us': More than a dozen Colorado districts approve school tax measures- Chalkbeat Colorado, November 7, 2019
- Making the Grade 2019: How Fair is School Funding in Your State?- Education Law Center, November 4, 2019
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- Update from Joint Budget Committee Staff, Craig Harper
- CASB Uniform Mill Levy- Matt Cook
- Colorado Economic and Fiscal Outlook- Lauren Larson and Allie Kimmel
- Vision 2020 Policy Input Tool- Abby Vining and Carol Hedges
- Agenda– October 21, 2019
- Update from Joint Budget Committee Members on Issues Related to School Finance– October 21, 2019
- Agenda- October 22, 2019
- Public Comment to the Interim Committee on School Finance– Area Superintendents, October 2, 2019
- Additional Information for Interim School Finance Committee survey– CASE, October 2, 2019
- 2019 Interim Committee on School Finance Colorado General Assembly website for 2019 session. Includes links to committee documents, committee schedule and meeting materials, and committee members
- HB19-1257 refers a question to the voters on whether or not the state can keep additional tax dollars for education and transportation investments. (Click here for HB19-1257's Fiscal Note.)
- HB19-1258 is a companion bill to HB19-1257. It specifies how revenue retained would be allocated. (Click here for HB19-1258's Fiscal Note.)
- Battle lines drawn around Tax Payers Bill of Rights as formal opposition to Proposition CC announced- Complete Colorado- Page Two, June 12, 2019
- Colorado voters leaning toward approving the elimination of state spending caps under TABOR, poll finds- Colorado Sun, August 14, 2019
- Now we know how much money is at stake on the 2019 ballot with Proposition CC and Tabor refunds in Colorado- Colorado Sun, September 20, 2019
- Individual District Prop CC Fact Sheets- Colorado Association of School Boards
- Proposition CC explained: What it means to end the spending caps in TABOR and the money at stake- Colorado Sun, October 11, 2019
- Lawmakers are finally setting out to retool Colorado's school funding formula- The Colorado Sun, October 29, 2019
- When Five Days Become Four- Harvard Political Review, October 24, 2019
- Colorado lawmakers request changes to school funding- Colorado Politics, October 23, 2019
- Lawmakers and Advocates Alike Want To Revamp The 25-Year-Old Formula Behind School Funding. But They Don't Agree On How- CPR, October 22, 2019
- Colorado public education associations support superintendent concerns about proposed changes to accountability system
- Press release from CASE, CASB, and CEA, Ocotber 3, 2019 - It's count day in Colorado Schools. Here's why an accurate census matters- Chalkbeat, October 2, 2019
September 2019
September 2019 Economic Forecast- Colorado Legislative Council Staff
- Governor's Office of State Planning & Budget (OSPB) Forecast
- Presentation: Taxpayer Equity Uniform Mill: How is K-12 impacted?
- Handout: Districts with 24-27 Mills or within 3 mills of TP FY2019-20
- Handout: Districts below 24 mills or within 3 mills of TP FY2019-20
- Education Property Tax Legislation for 2020: Input Needed- Craig Harper, Joint Budget Committee Staff,
- Link to the two draft bills that are the starting points for legislation in the upcoming session below:
- BILL TOPIC: "School District Uniform Total Program Mill Levy"
- BILL TOPIC: "School District Mill Levy Equalization"
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- Meeting Agenda
- EdBuild- Categorical Program Funding in Colorado
- EdBuild- Funding for English Language Learners
- EdBuild- Funding for Students with Disabilities
- CSFP- What is the budget stabilization factor? And how does it impact school districts?
- EdBuild- Overview of Possible Special Education Funding Scenarios
- Links to EdBuild's Supplemental Charts
- Special Education Fiscal Advisory Committee Report (SEFAC annual report)
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- Agenda
- EdBuild At-Risk report
- EdBuild Cost-of-Living report
- EdBuild Size Factor report
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- September 12
- October 21
- December 10
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- Colorado made kindergarten a priority. But when it comes to four-day schools weeks, lawmakers don't see a problem.- The Colorado Sun, August 29, 2019
- In mostly rural Colorado, the four-day week has taken hold. But what do communities do with "Fifth Day"?- The Colorado Sun, August 28, 2019
- Colorado now has more school districts on four-day weeks than any place in the nation- with little research on the benefits- The Colorado Sun, August 27, 2019
- Colorado leads the nation in four day school weeks, but are they right for everyone?- TheDenverChannel.com, August 19, 2019
- 4 new studies bolster the case: More money for schools helps low-income students- Chalkbeat, August 13, 2019
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- Colorado’s Constitutional Impacts from: Gallagher, TABOR, Amendment 23, and the Negative/Budget Stabilization Factor
- Colorado Legislative History of Mill Levy Overrides
- Financial Pressures
- How are School Districts Funded
- Marijuana Excise Tax and Building Excellent Schools Today (BEST)
- School Board Responsibilities and Budget Timeline
- Timing of School Finance
- Why Resources Matter
- These 17 School Districts Borders Highlight Colorado’s Byzantine Funding Scheme– Colorado Public Radio, July 25, 2019
- What PERA’s bad year means for public workers, retirees and taxpayers in Colorado, explained in Charts– The Colorado Sun, July 9, 2019
- Low pay. Cuts to PERA. For some state workers in Colorado, it’s like the recession never ended– The Colorado Sun, July 8, 2019
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- Colorado Legislative Council Staff
- Governor's Office of State Planning & Budget - June 2019
- Colorado Economic Outlook - Economic and Fiscal Revenue - June 2019
- Meeting Agenda
- Colorado's School Funding Formula Presentation- Office of Legislative Legal Services
- School Finance Revenues in Colorado- Joint Budget Committee (JBC) Staff
- Staff Budget Briefing FY 2019-20 Department of Education- JBC Working Document
- 2018 report from the Legislative Interim Committee on School Finance.
- School Finance Act (SB19-246) Fiscal Note
- HB19-1257 refers a question to the voters on whether or not the state can keep additional tax dollars for education and transportation investments. (Click here for HB19-1257’s Fiscal Note.)
- HB19-1258 is a companion bill to HB19-1257. It specifies how revenue retained would be allocated. (Click here for HB19-1258’s Fiscal Note.)
- Battle lines drawn around Tax Payers Bill of Rights as formal opposition to Proposition CC announced– Complete Colorado- Page Two, June 12, 2019
- Colorado lawmakers are trying again to unravel a complicated school finance knot– Chalkbeat, June 26, 2019
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- There’s Something Happening Here- Carol Hedges, Colorado Fiscal Institute
- A session that had everything: Where did education fit in?- Todd Engdahl, Capitol Editorial Services
- Education Wrap-up- Todd Engdahl, Capitol Editorial Services
- BEST PowerPoint Presentation- Brett Johnson, Aurora Public Schools
- RE-1 Valley teacher base pay to increase to $33K next year: Board Approves MOU with staff, publishing budget for community review- Sterling Journal-Advocate, May 21, 2019
- Largest Annual Increase in Public School Spending Since 2008- US Census Bureau, May 21, 2019
- Polis signs full-day kindergarten bill into law- Chalkbeat, May 21, 2019
- SVSSD teachers to receive average 7.6% raise under tentative agreement: School board to vote on new contract Wednesday-Longmont Times-Call, May 20, 2019
- School district and teachers reach agreement: Salary increases to be implemented next year- Crested Butte News, May 15, 2019
- Thompson approves 10 percent salary increase- Loveland Reporter Hearld, May 15, 2019
- Perry Preschool study shows early ed benefits extend to participants' children, siblings- EducationDive, May 14, 2019
- 4 bills that could affect Greeley and Windsor schools this year- Greeley Tribune, May 10, 2019
- Vail Valley schools to add more cops, counselors: State, local funding increases slightly, but so will costs, district officials say- Vail Daily, May 10, 2019
- PSD employees cross fingers for cost-of-living raise, question whether it will be enough- Coloradoan, May 8, 2019
- Plan For Full-Day Kindergarten In Colorado Awaits Governor’s Signature– Colorado Public Radio, May 1, 2019
- The teacher weekly wage penalty hit 21.4 percent in 2018. a record high- Economic Policy Institute, Center on Wage & Employment Dynamics, April 24, 2019
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- HB19-1333 Discussion:
- Tobacco Tax Referred Measure- Governor's Office Presentation
- Support HB19-1333- Children's Hospital Colorado and Healthier Colorado
- Students receiving Special Education services
- Students learning English
- Students who qualify for Free or Reduced Lunch (a proxy for poverty)
- Students receiving Gifted and Talented services
- Students identified as Homeless
- Schools in Southwest Colorado see changes driven by Columbine- 4/20/19, Durango Herald
- Districts in Debt: How rising teacher pension costs hurt school districts, States try to rescue pension systems from bankruptcy, leaving less money for classrooms and teacher pay, The Hechinger Report, April 22, 2019
- No Colorado School districts meet federal safety standards for behavioral health staffing, investigation shows, The Colorado Sun, April 12, 2019
- What Does It Take to Get a Teacher Interested in Rural Schools? A Field Trip, Jenny Brundin, Colorado Public Radio (CPR), April 10, 2019
- More Education Studies Look at Cost-Effectiveness, Sarah D. Parks, Education Week, April 9, 2019
- What's more important to a superintendent: a math program shown to give a bigger boost to students' math skills in the next two years or one that gives a smaller improvement but fits the district's budget for five years? Questions like that have become steadily more common as school leaders grapple with years of shrinking budgets. Still, it can be difficult to understand the expenses that lie beneath an intervention's sticker price or the resources that may mean the difference between a promising intervention working on paper and working in the classroom.
- Coloradans were set to get a property tax cut. Governor Polis is mulling a workaround to stop it, The Colorado Sun, April 9, 2019
March 2019
CSFP's March Advisory Committee Meeting- March 2019 Economic & Revenue Forecast - Kate Watkins, Colorado Legislative Council Staff
- Q & A on Uniform Statewide School Mill Levy - Ken Delay, Colorado Association of School Boards (CASB)
- Colorado Legislative Council staff
- Office of State Planning and Budget
- Tax Effort and Fiscal Capacity 2018-19 including an overall summary and detail by school district
- Tax Effort and Fiscal Capacity 2018-19 Summary (portrait mode)
- Tax Effort and Fiscal Capacity 2018-19 Summary (landscape mode)
- Tax Effort and Fiscal Capacity 2018-19 by Assessed Value and type of Mill – includes pie chart and detail by school district
- Total Assessed Value 2018-19
- Assessed Value per Pupil 2018-19
- Total Program Mills 2018-19 - (mills each district levies as part of the school finance act)
- Mill Levy Overrides 2018-19 - (voter-approved)
- Bond Redemption Mills 2018-19 - (voter-approved)
February 2019
CSFP February Advisory Committee Meeting- Update from Governor's Office: Lauren Larsen, Executive Director, OSPB and Allie Kimmell, Governor's Office, Policy Advisory
- FY 2019-20 Governor Polis' Budget Letter - January 15, 2019
- FY 2019-20 Hickenlooper to Polis Budget
- 2020 Fiscal Vision - Colorado Fiscal Institute, Carol Hedges
- Mill Levies: Craig Harper, JBC Staff, Chief Legislative Analyst (Education, School Finance
- School Finance - Potential Uniform Mill Scenario - Districts levy 27 mills or the number at which they are fully locally funded. This analysis assumes full implementation in FY 2019-20.
- Uniform Mill Proposal FY 2019-20 - School Finance Funding Comparison with Current Law - FY 2019-20 with and without Mill Levy Equalization (27 or fully funded) - Full Implementation First Year.
- Tax Effort and Fiscal Capacity 2017-18 including an overall summary and detail by school district
- Tax Effort and Fiscal Capacity 2017-18 by Assessed Value and type of Mill – includes pie chart and detail by school district
- Assessed Value
- Assessed Value per Pupil
- Total Program Mills - (mills each district levies as part of the school finance act)
- Mill Levy Overrides - (voter-approved)
- Bond Redemption Mills - (voter-approved)
- This list of District Tax Effort and Fiscal Capacity with links
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.
- 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.
- Denver Post: Colorado legislators plan to overhaul education funding system critics say disproportionately benefits wealthy districts. High-income areas with low poverty rates would replace state education aid by raising property taxes under a bipartisan plan. January 6, 2019
- Denver Post: Where's all that marijuana money? - Three-part series:
- Where's all that marijuana money? State's pot dollars help schools, but maybe not as much as you think. Part 1 of 3.
- Video: Where has all the Marijuana Tax Money gone?
- Colorado communities pocket big bucks from legal marijuana, but threats loom for some. Part 2 of 3.
2018
December 2018
December 2018 Forecast- Legislative Council staff
- Office of State Planning and Budget
- Denver Post: Colorado Economy; Front Range a GDP force, 10 of the state's 64 counties account for 85 percent of engine, December 20, 2018
- Coloradoan: Sacrificing Our Schools: These 8 school funding issues will challenge Colorado lawmakers in 2019
- Chalkbeat: Dear Governor: Here's what Colorado educators want Jarod Polis to know about their schools. Additional information on our website about: Teacher Shortage, Supply, Retention
- Additional information on the Budget Stabilization / Negative Factor
- CSFP Timeline: School Finance and Education Reform
- Briefing Document for the Department of Education, Summary, December 2018
- Briefing Document for the Department of Education, Full Report, December 2018
November 2018
School District Election Results for 2018: Bond, BEST, Mill Levy Override (MLO), Sales Tax- 2018 School District Election Report - Final Results
- Map of Mill Levy Overrides as of 2018 elections
- Colorado Ballot Information Booklet - 2018 Blue Book - Colorado Legislative Council Staff
- Text of Amendment 73 is Unambiguously Limited to School District Taxes - infographic
- Legal opinion refuting claims Amendment 73 would alter assessment rates for non-school taxing entities
- In support:
- Grand Junction Sentinel: Vote yes on 73
- Craig Daily Press: Our kids are worth it
- The Coloradoan: Approve Amendment 73 with a watchful eye on local school spending
- Colorado Secretary of State website page: 2017-18 Initiative Filings, Agendas & Results
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.- North Central School Districts
- Northeast and Southeast School Districts
- Northwest School Districts
- Metro and Pikes Peak School Districts
- Southwest School Districts
- West Central School Districts
- BOCES
- Legislative Council Staff Blue Book Press Release 10-11-2018
- Notice of Correction in Amendment 73 Ballot Analysis
- 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- Initial Considerations for School Funding Models - Senator Zenzinger, Workbook presented to the Legislative Interim Committee on School Finance - September 17, 2018 Workshop
- K-12 Education Budget Outlook: Kate M. Watkins, Chief Economist, Legislative Council Staff
- Alternatives to Gallagher Amendment Interim Study Committee
- Bill 1 - Repeal Gallagher
- Bill 2 - Property Tax Classification Short-term Rental Units
- Bill 3 - Property Tax Residential Assessment Rate
- Bill 4 - Backfill Property Tax Loss to Fire Protection District
- Bill 5 - Backfill Property Tax Loss to Library District
- Bill 6 - pulled
- Bill 7 - Regional Residential Assessment Rates for Property Tax
- Bill 8 - Backfill Property Tax Loss to Certain Special District
- Gallagher Amendment Proposal Considerations - Legislative Council
- Field Update
- Office of Legislative Legal Services: Overview of statutory process for reorganizing school district boundaries - Jan 2017, Revised September 2018
- Additional / Historical information on Consolidation / Deconsolidation of District Services is available here.
- Legislative Council
- Office of State Planning & Budget
- September 17, 2018 (Workshop) note: recordings are not available for workshops
- Bill 1 - Repeal Gallagher
- Bill 2 - Property Tax Classification Short-term Rental Units
- Bill 3 - Property Tax Residential Assessment Rate
- Bill 4 - Backfill Property Tax Loss to Fire Protection District
- Bill 5 - Backfill Property Tax Loss to Library District
- Bill 6 - pulled
- Bill 7 - Regional Residential Assessment Rates for Property Tax
- Bill 8 - Backfill Property Tax Loss to Certain Special District
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- Colorado Legislative Council Staff
- Governor's Office of State Planning & Budget - June 2018
- Comparison of Current School Finance Act and Great Schools Thriving Communities
- Modeling Narrative
- Districts Mills Needed to Raise GSTC Amounts
- 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, 2018April 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:- Free and Reduced Lunch 2017-18, Data Source: CDE
- GT Students Served and Program Funding, Data source: CDE and JBC Education Budget Briefing, December 2017.
- Students receiving Special Education services (2015-16): local, federal, state funding: CDE and JBC Education Budget Briefing, December 2017. (April 2018)
- IDEA: Percent of children served, Data Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
- Percent of Children Served: IDEA 2015-16 (2017 data), portrait
- Percent of Children Served: IDEA 2015-16 (2017 data), landscape
March 2018
CSFP March Advisory Committee Meeting- PERA
- State Budget Outlook - Legislative Council Staff, Kate Watkins
- What is the Negative Factor? for FY 2016-17, pg 12. Adjustments range from $750 to just under $2,000.
- Map of the Negative Factor per Pupil Funding Decrease, FY 2016-17 (jpeg)
- Legislative Council's School Finance in Colorado booklet, April 2017
February 2018
CSFP Advisory Committee Meeting- Superintendents' Modernized School Finance Formula
- Implications of the Federal Tax Changes on Colorado: Chris Stiffler / Esther Turcios, Colorado Fiscal Institute
- CSFP Western Slope Presentation
- Colorado Superintendents' Modernized School Finance Formula
- Informational - Great Schools, Thriving Communities
January 2018
CASE Nuts & Bolts - Pre-CASE Conference - January 31, 2018 - CSFP Presentation CSFP Advisory Committee Meeting:- Taxpayer Equity and the Uniform Total Program Mill Levy Program - Craig Harper, JBC Staff
- Citizens Initiatives 2018
- Great Education Colorado Action Summit 2018 information
- Representative Dave Young
- Modern School Finance Formula
- Creating a Modern School Finance Formula - unrevised draft
- Colorado Superintendents' Proposed Formula to Modernize School Funding - December 2017
- Student-Centered Pilot Accountability Systems
- Modern School Finance Formula
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.
- 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.
- 2017 School District Election Report - Final results
- Map of Mill Levy Overrides as of 2017 elections. Map does not include Full-Day Kindergarten, Transportation, or Technology Overrides.
- Colorado's Legislative History of Mill Levy Overrides from 1988 - 2017
November 2017
CASB Convention 2017- New Board Member Training - November 30, 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
- PERA Board Recommendations to Protect PERA's Long-Term Health 9-22-2017, Greg Smith, CEO, PERA
- K-12 Education Budget Outlook, Kate Watson, Chief Economist, Legislative Council Staff
- Report: The Institute on Taxation & Economic Policy (ITEP) - Trickle-Down Dries Up, States without personal income taxes lag behind states with the highest top tax rates.
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.
- Overview of Consolidation of District Services - brief summary
- History of Colorado School District Consolidation & Deconsolidation from 1886 - 2017 (chart timeline)
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:
- Colorado Legislative Council
- Office of State Planning and Budget - Economic Forecast
CSFP Presentation Documents September 19, 2017
- Timelines:
- Mill Levy Overrides
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:
- Presentation: Advocates for School Trust Lands (ASTL) - Evie Hudak (CoPTA), Brian Tanner (CEA), Matt Cook (CASB). Advocates for School Trust Lands was formerly known as CLASS. Colorado Land Board Overview 2014-15. Link to Colorado State Land Board
- 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.
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- 1739S - Fiscal Health Analysis FY 2014, 2015, 2016 Full Report
- 1739S - Highlights
- 1739S - Map of school districts with 2 missed benchmarks
- Committee Documents
- RFP Re-release Dated 07 27 2017
Articles:
- Where do schools spend their money? New site gives bare-bones look at finances - Denver Post, July 14, 2017
- New state website details Colorado schools' revenue, spending - Colorado Springs Gazette, July 9, 2017
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:- Colorado Legislative Council
- Office of State Planning and Budget - Economic Forecast
May 2017
CSFP May 2017 Advisory Committee Meeting:- Tax Basics and Colorado Tax Detail - Colorado Fiscal Institute, Carol Hedges
- Legislative Council Services - Natalie Mullis and Greg Sobetski
- Explanation of FY2017-18 Budget Balancing Using March 2017 LCS Forecast
- Elements of SB17-267
- School Finance in Colorado - April 2017 - prepared by Legislative Council Staff
April 2017
CSFP April Advisory Committee Meeting:- Mission Possible - interactive modeling - balancing Colorado's budget
Western Slope CSFP Advisory Committee Meeting
- Mission Possible - Interactive model - balancing Colorado's Budget
- Current & Modernized School Finance Act - DRAFT - Subject to Change
- 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 1Article 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
- Governor's Office of State Planning and Budget: March Forecast
- Colorado Legislative Council Services: March Forecast
Updated reports on Colorado's special needs populations and a comparison of Average Teacher Salary: Colorado to the U.S. Average.
- Students receiving Special Education services
- Students learning English
- Students who qualify for Free or Reduced Lunch (proxy for poverty)
- Students receiving Gifted and Talented services
- Homeless Students
- 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:- Residential Assessed Value Rate
- Taxpayer Equity and the Uniform Total Program Mill Levy Proposal - Craig Harper, Joint Budget Committee Staff
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
- December 2016 Forecast - Colorado Legislative Council Staff
- Presentation December Forecast
- School Finance Summary - Leg Council
- December 2016 Forecast - Office of State Planning & Budget
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 ReleaseTax 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.
- One page Tax Effort / Fiscal Capacity District highlight - comparing the differences between what 1 mill can raise in 6 districts.
- One page Tax Effort / Fiscal Capacity highlight per student - comparing the difference between what 1 mill can raise per student in 6 districts.
- Tax Effort and Fiscal Capacity Report for all districts - includes Total Program Mills, Bond Mills, Total Override Mills, and Total Mills.
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 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.
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:
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- Colorado: Understanding Teacher Shortages - Map and overview highlighting key factors that reflect and influence teacher supply and demand.
- State indicators influencing Supply and Demand by State (Appendix B)
- Distribution of Uncertified and Inexperienced Teachers by State (Appendix C)
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- About the Learning Policy Institute
- The full report: A Coming Crisis in Teaching? Teacher Supply, Demand and Shortages in the U.S.
- Understanding Teacher Shortages, a state by state analysis of factors influencing teacher supply, demand and equity: Interactive Map
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.
- Comparing state changes in per pupil spending between 2002-03 and 2012-13.
- Comparing state by state per pupil spending in 2002-03 and 2012-13.
- Office of State Planning and Budget: Forecast
- Legislative Council
- Information on the 2016 House, Senate & JBC school finance discussion is available here.
- Need & Size Factors and Tax Effort & Fiscal Capacity Report for Colorado school districts.
- Link to Mission Possible Colorado: www.missionpossibleco.com.
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.- Map from report: Districts with 2 or more warning indicators 2016 District Elections - DRAFT -
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.
- Exhibit 3: Percentage change in PK-12 current expenditures per pupil and state and local corrections current expenditures per capita from 1979-80 to 2012-13, by state.
- State and Local Expenditures on Corrections and Education: A Brief from the U.S. Department of Education, Policy and Program Studies Service, July 2016
- U.S. Department of Education: Press release
June 2016
June 2016 Economic Forecast- Legislative Council
- Office of State Budget & Planning
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- Colorado Did You Know? School Finance video: link
- The Conundrum of School Finance
- 2015 Map of all Mill Levy Overrides by District
- The Conundrum of School Finance - Planning School Budgets for the Future
- 2015 Map of all Mill Levy Overrides by District
- Western Slope School Districts Biggest Challenges
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- Colorado Did You Know? School Finance video: link
- CSFP Who We Are
- Mill Levy Overrides and Negative Factor Information
- Seven Years of K-12 Funding Cuts 2009-16 (inclusive of mid-year, budget stabilization and negative factor) as of February 2016
- 2015 Map of all Mill Levy Overrides by District
March 2016
March 2016 Forecasts- The Colorado Economic Outlook: Colorado Office of State Planning and Budget (OSPB)
- The Colorado Economic Outlook Infographic:(OSPB)
- Economic and Revenue Forecast: Colorado Legislative Council
- 2016 Educator Preparation Report - Colorado Department of Higher Education
- Ratings 101 & Colorado Schools - Moody''s Investor Service
- Colorado School Districts'' Subdued State Funding Ruled Constitutional- Moody''s Investor Service, October 2015
- Documents from the Joint Education Committee and JBC Meetings are listed above under Current Topics, March 16, 2016
- CSFP School Finance Infographic - March 2016
- CSFP School Finance Glossary
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:- Colorado''s Constitutional Spending Limit, Colorado Legislative Council, September 2015
- State Spending Limitations TABOR and Referendum C, Colorado Legislative Council, July 2009
- HJR03-1033 Study, TABOR Gallagher Amendment 23, Colorado Legislative Council, September 2003
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
- New Board Member Training:
- Planning School Budgets for the Future: All the Moving Parts Powerpoint (PDF)
November 2015
CSFP November Advisory Committee meeting presentations:
- Governor's Office of State Policy and Budget (OSPB): Colorado State Budget Request FY2016-17
- Colorado State University, Colorado Future's Center: Measuring the Impact of Tax and Expenditure Limits on Public School Property Taxes - TABOR and School Finance
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
- Building a Better Colorado - Reeves Brown, Project Coordinator
- CSFP: Percent Change in Per Pupil Spending from 2008-2013, adjusted for inflation, chart. Data source: US Census Bureau
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.- Components for State Level Modeling School Funding
- CSFP Scenarios:
- Impact of Increasing Negative Factor - chart
- Educating Colorado Project Powerpoint
- Educating Colorado Project introductory video - password COLORADO
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:- Making Sense of the School Finance Landscape Powerpoint (PDF)
- Making Sense of the School Finance Landscape booklet - July 30 updated version (PDF)
- School District Cost Structure
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.
- How Colorado ranks - Per Pupil Spending FY 2012-13
- Colorado ranks 40th.
- Colorado's Per Pupil Revenue compared to the U.S. Average and Colorado's Fall Enrollment
- Colorado's enrollment continues to grow as per-pupil revenue falls further from the U.S. Average
- Adjusted for Inflation: Comparing Per Pupil Spending between FY 2007-08 and FY 2012-13
- Adjusted for 2012-13 dollars, Colorado ranks 47th when comparing per-pupil FY 2007-08 spending to FY 2012-13.
- Trends & Rankings for Per Pupil Spending, Revenue & Per $1,000 of Personal Income 1991-92 to 2012-13
- Summary chart of Per Pupil Spending/Revenue 1991-92 to 2012-13
- 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
- Click on this link, which goes to the Colorado Judicial Branch, Appellate Courts Live Broadcast,
- Type Dwyer in the Archived Video search box.
- Click on 15SA22, In Dwyer v The State of Colorado
- 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.- Student-Centered Accountability Project: Strengthening Accountability for Students
- Rural Innovation Alliance RIASCA Executive Summary
- RIT - Timeline 5-13-2015
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.- Reply to Plaintiff's Response to Order and Rule to Show Cause
- Amicus Reply Brief of Colorado Concern, Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, Colorado Competitive Council, Colorado Mining Association, Colorado Association of Mechanical and Plumbing Contractors, and National Federation of Independent Business in Support of Defendants State of Colorado
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.
- Plaintiffs' Response
- Amicus Brief of Colorado Fiscal Institute
- Amicus Brief of Great Education Colorado, Education Foundation of Eagle County, Grassroots St. Vrain, and Colorado Latino Forum's Denver Metro Chapter
- Amicus Brief of Department of Business Officials (DBO) of the Colorado Association of School Executives (CASE)
- Amicus Brief of Colorado Education Association CEA
- Amicus Brief of Colorado Association of School Boards CASB
- Amicus Brief of Colorado Hispanic Bar Association CHBA
Natalie Mullis, Chief Economist, Colorado Legislative Council Staff presentation to CSFP
- Colorado Legislative Council Services March Forecast
- Memorandum to JBC on the March Revenue Forecast, General Fund Overview
- OSPB and Colorado Legislative Council Services forecasts
February 2015:
Quality Counts 2015 (2011-12 School Year, FY 2012)
- 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,
- Percent Total Taxable Resources Spent by State: Colorado ranks 39th.
- School Finance Grade by state. Colorado ranks 41st with a D+.
- 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
- Henry Sobanet, Office of State Planning and Budget: Presentation to CSFP: Colorado State Budget, TABOR, Amendment 23.
- Great Education Colorado, Presentation to CSFP
- Finding Common Ground on Common Core, results of facilitated conversations about standards, taxes, and solutions.
- Great Education's "Keep the TABOR Surplus for Kids" petition is available here and on their website.
- 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.
- Amendment 23 and Dwyer v. State of Colorado: is on our Court Cases page, scroll down to Amendment 23 Lawsuit; Dwyer v Colorado and click on the tab.
- Amendment 23: School Finance Act / Legislation & Amendment 23 page.
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.
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:
- School District Summary of Responses: indicates the underlying causes and the actions taken. - district by district detail of the situation in their districts.
- State Auditor School Fiscal Health Summary - 3 charts
- Summary of district cited reasons for financial stress: (Reduction in State School Funding; Increases in cost of maintenance, repairs, construction; Reduction in Student Enrollment).
- Number of districts for each reason stated above.
- Total benchmarks missed: 97 for 2013, 48 for 2012, 19 for 2011.
- OSA map of districts with 2 or more indicators for 2013.
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 - The following are maps from prior year School Fiscal Health reports. The full reports are on the School Finance Act / Legislation page, scroll to the appropriate year, the reports are under the Office of State Auditor heading.
- July 2013
- August 2012
- August 2011
- September 2010
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.
- Dwyer v State of Colorado Complaint
- Dwyer Press Release
- Lawsuit Claims School Funding Reduction Mechanism Unconstitutional - Chalkbeat Colorado
- State Sued for Defying Voter's Promise to Colorado's Kids - Education Law Center
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.- HB12-1292 Student Success
- HB12-1298 School Finance
- 2014-15 Funding calculation HB14-1298 - includes impact of HB14-1292
- District by District Comparison FY13-14 w/Supplemental & FY14-15 per HB14-1298 (final)
April 2014
Buy-down of Negative Factor & Related Information- All district responses (86 of 178 districts; 48%) to Superintendents request regarding the impact of two scenarios regarding the negative factor (for more detail see March and February below).
- Board Resolutions and Letters (most recently received by CSFP listed first)
- Board of Education Resolutions (Ouray)
- Uncompahgre Board of Cooperative Services Erase the Negative Factor Resolution
- Board of Education Resolutions (Poudre)
- Board of Education Resolution (Telluride)
- Board of Education Resolution (Norwood)
- Elizabeth Financial Fact Sheet
- Board of Education Resolution (Weld Re-3J Keenesburg)
- Board of Education Resolution (Meeker)
- Board of Education Resolution (Plainview)
- Board of Education Resolution (Elizabeth)
- District Letter to State Legislators (Colorado Springs D-11)
- District letter describing impact (Salida)
- Board of Education Resolution - State Education Funding (Weld RE-1)
- Board of Education Resolution - State Education Funding (Douglas County)
- District letter to Colorado Legislative Rural Caucus (Revere School District / Platte Valley RE-3)
- District letter 1 to House Education Committee (Platte Canyon)
- District letter 2 to House Education Committee (Byers)
- District Program Funding Comparisons - FY08-14 (Hanover School District #28)
- District letter response (Buffalo School District RE-4J)
- District letter response (Holyoke School District Re-1J)
- School Finance & Education Reform Timeline
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%.
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:- March and April Additional Letters /Negative Factor Resolutions
- Board of Education Resolutions (Ouray)
- Uncompahgre Board of Cooperative Services Erase the Negative Factor Resolution
- Board of Education Resolutions (Poudre)
- Board of Education Resolution (Telluride)
- Board of Education Resolution (Norwood)
- Elizabeth Financial Fact Sheet
- Board of Education Resolution (Weld Re-3J Keenesburg)
- Board of Education Resolution (Meeker)
- Board of Education Resolution (Plainview)
- Board of Education Resolution (Elizabeth)
- District Letter to State Legislators (Colorado Springs D-11)
- Group 5 - March 4, 2014 published
- District responses to negative factor questions
- District letter describing impact (Salida)
- Board of Education Resolution - State Education Funding (Weld RE-1)
- Board of Education Resolution - State Education Funding (Douglas County)
- Group 4 - March 3, 2014 published
- District responses to negative factor questions
- District letter to Colorado Legislative Rural Caucus (Revere School District / Platte Valley RE-3)
- District letter 1 to House Education Committee (Platte Canyon)
- District letter 2 to House Education Committee (Byers)
- Group 3 - February 28, 2014 published
- District responses to negative factor questions
- District Program Funding Comparisons - FY08-14 (Hanover School District #28)
- Group 2 - February 27, 2014 published
- District responses to negative factor questions
- District letter response (Buffalo School District RE-4J)
- Group 1 - February 26, 2014 published
- District response to negative factor questions
- District letter response (Holyoke School District Re-1J)
- Presentation to DBO
- Draft: Negative Factor $200M reduction through formula
- Timeline - School Finance and Education Reform through November 2013
- Sample District Budget Development Calendar for 2014-15
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
- How Colorado Compares in State and Local Taxes, Issue Brief, Number 12-07, June 29, 2012
- Corporate Income Taxes, Issue Brief, Number 12-32, November 14, 2012
- Who are Colorado's Public School Students? as of January 2014 - Highlights of several population groups
- Fall Student Counts for Gifted and Talented, Special Education, English Learners, Free Lunch, Trends in pupil membership.
- Colorado's Homeless Student Count 2005-2013.
- 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.
- English Language Learners (ELL) and English Language Proficiency Act (ELPA), showing ELL and ELPA student count and per pupil spending trends, data source: CDE
- GT Students Served and Program Funding, 2005-06 thru 2013-14, Data source: CDE Instuctional Program Count.
- Colorado estimated teacher salary 2012-13: $49,844
- $6,539 below the U.S. Average
- Rank: 32
- 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.
- Percent Total Taxable Resources spent by State. Colorado ranks 38th.
- School Finance Grade by state. Colorado ranks 39th with a D+.
- 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.
- 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
- Public School Finance Act of 1994 - FY 2014-15: FY2013-14 per SB13-260 and FY 2014-15 Governor's November 2013 Budget Request (from CDE, Policy & Funding).
- Impact of December 2013 Legislative Council Staff Forecast on School Finance Funding (from Legislative Council Staff - December 20, 2013).
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.- 2014-15: Possible impacts to district and BOCES 2014-15 budget, working copy - updated December 19, 2013.
- 2013-14: Possible impacts of sequestration as of August 2013
- CSFP Profile Data: 2013 Highlights is a one page overview of all the state profile data, reported by CSFP, compiled by Augenblick, Palaich & Company (APA) using data from CDE, NCES, NEA. This one page document highlights areas of concern for K-12 funding.
- Table 1 - Enrollment in K-12 Public Education includes all students, Special Education, Free Lunch, ELL (2 year funded and total ELL served)
- Table 2 - Number of Teachers and Teachers per 1,000 Students
- Table 3 - Average Teacher Salary
- Table 4 - Per Student Current Spending & Revenues
- Table 5 - Relationship Between Local Revenue for K-12 and Personal Income
- State Profile Data Table A
- School Finance: The Past, the Present and Moving Forward
- School Finance 101, New Board Member Finance Brief (12 page booklet).
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 FactorSeptember 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- Table 1B - Comparison of Total Program under SFA SB13-213
- Table 2B - Comparison of State and Local Shares under SFA SB13-213
- Table 3B - Comparison of State and Local Shares under SFA SB13-213 with No New Local Support
- Table 4B - Comparison of Total Program Mill Levies under SFA SB13-213
June 2013:
June Forecast:- Colorado Legislative Council Staff: Focus Colorado: Economic and Revenue Forecast, June 2013
- Governor's Office of State Planning and Budget (OSPB): Economic and Fiscal Review, June 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:- Revenue Per Student: Colorado is $-1,990 below the US Average.
- Spending Per Student: Colorado is $-1,836 below the US Average.
- As Colorado has increased per pupil spending/revenue over the years, the US Average has increased more.
- Two CSFP Reports:
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.-
- SB13-213 Rerevised - final April 29, 2013
- Colorado Legislative Council Information - as of April 25, 2013
- CDE School Finance Information 2013-14 Adopted by Senate on April 2
- 2013 Ballot Initiatives/Proposal side by side comparison of education initiatives - The Bell Policy Center. Suggest printing on legal size paper for best results.
- Handouts from The Colorado Fiscal Institute:
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.- SB13-213 (as introduced March 8, 2013)
- 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.
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.
- Background information on Costing Out Studies
- Why Change the School Finance Act? Addressing questions such as: Is there a problem? What is the problem? Addressing the problem.
- Quick Facts: Costing Out Analysis for School Finance: Why do a Costing Out Study? What methods are used to cost out a school finance system?
- 2013 Costing Out Study Update report by Augenblick, Palaich and Associates
- An explanation of a Costing Out Study and the Update to the Colorado Costing Out work (pdf of powerpoint)
- This is the fourth update to the original 2003 Costing Out Study. Costing Out information is available on the Equity / Costing Out page.
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)-
- Who are Colorado's Public School Students? as of January 2013, Highlights of several population groups.
- Fall Student Counts for Gifted and Talented, Special Education, English Learners, Free Lunch, Trends in pupil membership.
- Colorado's Homeless Student Count 2005-2012.
- 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.
- English Language Learners (ELL) and English Language Proficiency Act (ELPA), showing ELL and ELPA student count and per pupil spending trends, Data source: CDE.
- GT Students Served and Program Funding, 2005-06 thru 2012-13.
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
- 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
- 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
- Percent Total Taxable Resources Spent by State. Colorado ranks 37th.
- Nearby States Spending More Per Pupil than Colorado. Colorado spends -$2,518 less per pupil than the national average.
- 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.
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.
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:
- A new, safe learning environment for a district that received a BEST grant (and passed a matching Override Local Mill Levy).
- The status of older schools in districts with low property value.
- 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:
- The Budget and the Economy 2013, presentation by Carol Hedges, Director, Colorado Fiscal Policy Center.
- Making the 2013, The Year of the Student presentation by Lisa Weil, Great Education Colorado.
- 2013 Year of the Student supporting organizations.
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).- CSFP Colorado's Profile Data: 2012 Highlights is a one page overview of all the state profile data, reported by CSFP, compiled by Augenblick, Palaich & Company (APA) using data from CDE. This one page document highlights areas of concern for K-12 funding.
- Table 1 - Enrollment in K-12 Public Education includes all students, Special Education, Free Lunch, ELL (2 yr funded and total served)
- Table 2 - Number of Teachers and Teachers per 1,000 Students
- Table 3 - Average Teacher Salary
- Table 4 - Per Student Current Spending & Revenues
- Table 5 - Relationship Between Local Revenue for K-12 and Personal Income
- Colorado State Profile Data Table A
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.
- Per Pupil Revenue and Spending and Per $1,000 Personal Income, 1991-92 through 2009-10.
- Historical charts of Colorado and US Average for Per Pupil Spending, Revenue and rankings from 1991-92 through 2009-10.
- U.S. Census Bureau chart for Per Pupil Spending Amounts by State
- Table 11. States Ranked According to Per Pupil Elementary-Secondary Public School System Finance Amounts: 2009-2010
- Table 12. States Ranked According to Relation of Elementary-Secondary Public School System Finance Amounts to $1,000 of Personal Income: 2009-10
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.- 3 minute highlights
- 33 minute discussion: end of video features a community member speaking about community and business support
- CSFP 2012-13 Trends of District Reported Budget Cuts - forum handout.
May 2012
Some basic information regarding property taxes, state and local share, and mill levy overrides:
- Do property taxes pay for schools? What are Local Override Revenues?
- State Share of Funding by District: includes total state dollar amount, per pupil and percent of funding. The State Share in the chart does not include Categorical Program funding. Source: CDE, Public School Finance
- Disparities in School Funding - Source: Colorado Futures Center
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- Who Are Colorado's Public School Students?
- Chart of Colorado's GT, Special Education, English Learners and Free Lunch. For more detail, click on the following links:
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:- New Board Member Training, CSFP and Colorado Springs D-11
- Myths and Realities of School Finance, CSFP and Children's Voices
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 Profile Data: 2011 Highlights is a one page overview of all the state profile data, reported by CSFP, compiled by Augenblick, Palaich & Company (APA) using data from CDE. This one page document highlights areas of concern for K-12 funding.
- Table 1 - Enrollment in K-12 Public Education includes all students, Special Education, Free Lunch, ELL
- Table 2 - Number of Teachers and Teachers per 1,000 Students
- Table 3 - Average Teacher Salary
- Table 4 - Per Student Current Spending & Revenues
- Table 5 - Relationship Between Local Revenue for K-12 and Personal Income
- State Profile Data Table A
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.
- District Reported Budget Conversations
- Media Reported Budget Conversations
- Trends in district cuts
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).- APA report: An Exploration of District Consolidation: Status and Research. June 2009
- School District Organization Highlights - helpful to read with the power point below
- School District Organization: Status and Research (APA), power point presentation and Table 3 referenced in the power point, included in research report.
- Colorado's Enrollment Trends 2004-2008 (Did You Know?)
- Colorado County & District Data Snapshot
- Student Count Change (CDE 2004-2008) by County and School District
- Student Count, Districts in County, square miles, people per square mile: Counties in CDE Regional Service Areas (RSA) Summary
- Student Count, Districts in County, square miles, people per square mile: Colorado Association of School Boards (CASB) Region
- 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
- The CSFP and Augenblick, Palaich and Associates presentation and Colorado School Finance booklet prepared for the Colorado Reform Roundtable.
- Presentation by the Colorado Fiscal Policy Center: Rethinking Revenue in Colorado: Considerations Augenblick, Palaich and Associates (APA)
- Presentation Counting Students: The Driving Force of School Finance in reference to SB10-008
- CDE Average Daily Membership (ADM) Study
- Colorado and National per pupil funding trends from 1995 to 2009, adjusted for inflation. Source: CDE, National Education Association, APA Profile reports
- Education Finance Statistics Center Finance Graphs (EDFIN) of the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) 2007-08 map of the United States and vertical ranking by state illustrating average state funding for K-12
- 2010 District Ballot Measure November Results (Bond, Bond/BEST, Mill Override, Cash Flow Gap if Amendment 61 passes)
- EAGLE-Net $100M federal grant for broadband expansion in Colorado: Press Release and Press Packet from EAGLE-Net's grant announcement on September 13, 2010
- A Brighter Future for Colorado through Broadband (powerpoint pdf).
- Presentation by Colorado Legislative Council staff to the Colorado Reform Roundtable on August 6, 2010: Colorado's Revenue & Tax Structure.
- Summary of the Trends of 2010-11 District Reported Budget Cuts reported to CSFP by districts in the 2010-11 District Reported Budget Decisions
- Per Pupil Funding Trends with NCES, US Census, and Profile data. Using 2007-08 data from the US Census and National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) CSFP created two charts 1)comparing Colorado to neighboring states Per Pupil Spending and 2) US Census spending per $1,000 of Personal Income. US Census and NCES data was reported in 2010. School district budget cuts for 2010-11.
- The Media Reported version summarizes the media's reporting of district budget cuts through July 31, 2010. The Cuts Reported by Individual School Districts summarizes information supplied to us by school districts from May-September 2010.
- Summary (one page) of the Trends of 2010-11 District Reported Budget Cuts reported to CSFP by districts. We thank the school districts for supporting our requests for updates as we worked through the process. Using 2007-08 data from the US Census and National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) CSFP created two charts 1)comparing Colorado to neighboring states Per Pupil Spending and 2) US Census spending per $1,000 of Personal Income. US Census and NCES data was reported in 2010.
- US Census data from 1991-92 through 2007-08 charting Colorado and US Average Per Pupil Spending, Revenue and rankings over time.
- Presentation by APA and CSFP on the First Interim Report on the Analysis of the Costs of Colorado's Achievement Plan for Kids (CAP4K)
- Making Tough Budget Decisions Powerpoint handout and Colorado K-12 Funding, A Crisis for Kids brochure created by Colorado Springs D-11 school district.
- Augenblick, Palaich & Associates (APA) and CSFP: first of three reports estimating costs associated with Colorado's Achievement Plan for Kids (SB08-212), commonly referred to as CAP4K to the State Board of Education in mid April. The full report is here and the presentation is here. The first report focuses on the planning phase for 1) school readiness, 2) new content standards and 3) Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness (PWR)
- Statewide Financial Assistance Priority Assessment (authorized by 2008 state legislature) documents the condition and the educational adequacy of all the schools in Colorado. The assessment indicates a need of $17.9 billion for Tier 1 buildings for 2010-2018 and will assist the Capital Construction Assistance Board (CCAB) in prioritizing grant applications for Building Excellent Schools Today (BEST) awards
- Information from the Declining Enrollment Study Report by the Pacey Economic Group, commissioned by CDE
- US Census data from 1991-92 through 2007-08 charting Colorado and US Average Per Pupil Spending, Revenue and rankings over time.
- Presentation on school finance to the League of Women Voters as part of a School Finance Panel Discussion along with Aurora Public Schools, Cherry Creek School District, and Littleton Public Schools.
- Click here for the Colorado School Finance Project's School Finance Timeline.
- February 2010: FY 2007 map of the United States created by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) illustrating average state funding for K-12.
- The Decline: The Geography of a Recession by LaToya Egwuekwe, unemployment rates by county.
- FY 2007 map of the United States created by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) illustrating average state funding for K-12. Illustration of the 2010-11 School Finance Act
- Proposals vs CDE (OSPB) Proposal versus the JBC as prepared by Wil Hatcher.
- Quality Counts 2010: Line graph indicating how much more nearby states spend more than Colorado and bar graph comparing Colorado and nearby states per pupil spending with the national average.
2009
School Finance Act Summary- Colorado Department of Education
2009 Reports:
- Exploration of School District Consolidation by the CSFP and Augenblick, Palaich & Associates (APA)
- APA report: An Exploration of District Consolidation: Status and Research. June 2009
- School District Organization Highlights - helpful to read with the power point below
- School District Organization: Status and Research (APA), power point presentation and Table 3 referenced in the power point, included in research report.
- Colorado's Enrollment Trends 2004-2008 (Did You Know?)
- Colorado County & District Data Snapshot
- Student Count Change (CDE 2004-2008) by County and School District
- Student Count, Districts in County, square miles, people per square mile: Counties in CDE Regional Service Areas (RSA) Summary
- Student Count, Districts in County, square miles, people per square mile: Colorado Association of School Boards (CASB) Region
- CSFP, along with Augenblick, Palaich and Associates (APA) presented our report: An Exploration of District Consolidation at the CASE Conference, to BOCES representatives, CSFP Advisory Committee, and at the CASB Fall Conference. A PDF of the Power Point is available here. One of the tables in the Power Point is available here.
- Delivery of Services/Consolidation with Augenblick, Palaich & Associates
- State Budget Update Presentation/Discussion with newly elected (Freshman) Board of Education members. "Colorado Hills" is the name of the fictional district whose budget had to be cut. After considering and evaluating items for the budget reductions, the Freshman BOE members made reductions that are tabulated here.
2009 Legislative Interim Committees:
-
- School Finance:
- HJR09-1020
- CSFP letter read at June 4, 2009 meeting and CSFP Report presented to the members of the Interim Committee
- CSFP presentation information: CSFP’s School Finance Interim Committee Power Point and 2009 updates of CSFP’s annual State Profile page, scroll to the appropriate year and click on the tab.
- School Finance Interim Committee Report - Final
- Interim Committee to Study Fiscal Stability:
- SJR09-044
- CSFP presentation information: CSFP's Long-Term Fiscal Stability Power Point, School Finance Timeline, and CSFP Report.
- Final Report to General Assembly
- Brief History of Fiscal Committees or Commissions - Colorado Legislative Council Staff
- School Finance:
- A report indicating how much money nearby states expend more per pupil than Colorado
- School finance report with two 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
- 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
- Fingertip
- Fact Card - 2007
- School Finance: What is Happening in Other States?
- State of School Funding, 2006
- CASB Conference 2007, Joint Presentation: 21st Century School Finance; Complexities of Academic Expectations and Tax Policy
- BOCES July 2007: School Finance
- CASE Conference August 2007, Joint Presentation: Aiming For The Middle
2006
2006 Reports:
- Colorado K-12 Education Funding: An Overview for 2004-05 data (CDE Source).
- ELPA 10 Year Summary Report 1996-2006. Source: CDE
- School Population Characteristics 92-93 thru 05-06
2005
2005 Reports
Interim Committee
- 2005 Interim Committee: Charged by the Colorado Legislature (SJR05-047) to Study the Financing of Public Schools. The CSFP presented information on adequacy to this committee on August 2, 2005 and August 12, 2005.
- Charge for the School Finance Task Force
- CSFP Presentation to Interim Committee - August 2005
- School Finance Task Force Final Report - September 2005
- Generation of School Finance - 1980 - 2005
Specific to Colorado (Charts):
- How And Why The Base Changes: Changes over time to Adequate Base Funding compared to Actual Base Funding
- Teachers Per Thousand Students: Comparison for 94-95 through 04-05
- Total State Enrollment 1994-2003
- Enrollment Characteristics of School Populations from 94-95 through 02-03
- ELPA Student Count - Dollar Allocation 94-95 through 05-06
- Operating Expenditures (in dollars);
- Operating Expenditures (percentage)
- Impact of Unreimbursed Costs on Base Funding 03-04
How Colorado Compares Nationally:
- How Does Colorado Compare?: Education Week, Quality Counts, Jan. 6, 2005
- Rankings of the States: Colorado (NEA Research, May 2004)
- Education State Rankings 2004-2005 (Publisher Morgan-Quinto)
- Taxes 2005: How Does Colorado Compare (Tax Foundation, Washington, DC, April 2005)