School Finance 101

• Principles of School Finance: What is a School Finance System? How does Student Count fit in?
• How School Finance Works- One-page document showing different components of school finance formula in Colorado
• School Finance is More Than a Formula or a Number highlighting the
  • Background of school finance
  • Revenue (where does it come from, the goal of 1994 act, today's mills)
  • 2015-16 Discussions and Options.
• School Finance Act of 1994 - Overview of the goals set forth by the legislature and where we are today.
  • Goals of the 94 Act. What did the system fund?
  • Where are we today in meeting the 1994 School Finance Goals?  Today's Education System
• School Finance Formulas - CSFP Quick Facts
• What is Equity in School Finance?
• What is the Legislative role in changing a School Finance System?
  • Where to Begin When Changing A School Finance Formula? - Legislative Role. How do School Finance and Educational Reforms fit together? What approaches can be used to measure costs? How to use the results of a study?
  • Legislative Interim Committees - Interim Committees pertaining to School Finance
• Colorado School Finance Myths and Facts contributed and compiled by a group of Colorado school district Chief Financial Officers.
• The Effects of School Spending on Educational and Economic Outcomes Evidence from School Reforms Study (Northwestern University & University of California) released on 1/1/2015. Purpose of Study: To understand whether, how and why school spending affects student outcomes.
  • Findings: Researchers found that increased per-pupil spending, induced by school finance reforms narrowed adult socioeconomic attainment differences between those raised in low-income and high-income families. They find that money does matter and that better school resources can meaningfully improve the long-term outcomes of recently educated children.

• CSFP School Funding Presentation - June 2022
• CSFP presentation on School Finance - an Introduction and Overview 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.
• CASB Convention December 2021:
  • New Board Member Training:
    • • School Finance in Colorado – New Board Member Training
      • New Board Member Training Booklet 2021
• CASE presentation July 2015: 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
• Presentations to the House and Senate Education Committees and other committees as noted. Booklets contain a variety of information about School Finance, some history, current student information, School Finance 101, Costing Out information. Booklets are 16 pages long.
• February 2013: CSFP presentation to House and Senate, School Finance 2013 booklet

• March 2012: CSFP and Augenblick, Palaich & Associates booklet, Overview of School Finance and Where to Begin when Changing a School Finance Formula? Legislative Role, House and Senate Education Committees.
• April 2011: CSFP presented an overview of the Colorado School Finance Project, House and Senate Education Committees.
• December 2010: Colorado School Finance booklet prepared for the Colorado Reform Roundtable.
• June 2009: 2009 School Finance Interim Committee booklet, 2009 School Finance Interim Committee.
• January 2009: CSFP's School Finance booklet, House and Senate Education Committees

• Average Daily Membership
• CAP4K - Colorado's Achievement Plan for Kids
• Consolidation of District Services
• Equity / Costing Out Studies
• Paying for Education Excellence
• State Profile Data

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, as of 2009-10 (most current available).  The State Share in the chart does not include Categorical Program funding. Source: CDE, Public School Finance

Local Elections - Bond, Bond/BEST, Mill Levy Overrides, etc.

• Timeline of Colorado's School Finance & Education Reform
• Legislative and District Sample Budget Timeline- 2022-23 District Budget
• Sample District Budget Calendar Cycle - 2021-22 School Year
• Colorado State Budgeting Process infographic - Beginning in FY2016-17 through FY2017-18 budget cycle (Colorado Leg Council)

Colorado: Did You Know?- Short videos describing Colorado's K-12 funding impacts on K-12 students, districts and our state.

Colorado Did You Know? Colorado's School Finance History, Summer 2019