CPR: State leaders celebrate end of school budget shortfalls but some districts worry about the future of funding

For many school districts across Colorado, much of this year’s legislative session has come with swells of emotion, starting with a long-awaited moment of celebration when lawmakers and Gov. Jared Polis committed to funding districts to the level required by the state constitution for the first time since the Great Recession.

Even while fulfilling that promise, lawmakers still won’t meet the full funding needs of school districts, but many education advocates and leaders have echoed one another in saying it’s a significant step in the right direction.

Now, in the final weeks of the session, some of the excitement shared by districts is turning into something else: angst.

Serious questions about the long-term future of school funding are weighing heavily over education organizations and district leaders, who have been waiting for legislation that could significantly change how Colorado schools are funded and how much state funding they receive.

Colorado Public Radio, February 29th, 2024, Click here to read the full story

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Colorado Sun: What does the future of Colorado school funding look like? Here are the questions hanging over districts.

Education advocates and district leaders say that they won’t know how individual districts will fare until they see the full details of McCluskie’s legislation. But some are worried. McCluskie has met with school district leaders in recent weeks after drafting at least three school funding proposals. One of her proposals sparked more questions than answers … Continued

CPR: State leaders celebrate end of school budget shortfalls but some districts worry about the future of funding

For many school districts across Colorado, much of this year’s legislative session has come with swells of emotion, starting with a long-awaited moment of celebration when lawmakers and Gov. Jared Polis committed to funding districts to the level required by the state constitution for the first time since the Great Recession. Even while fulfilling that … Continued

CPR: Colorado educators call for change of a system ‘on the brink of crisis’

Years of school underfunding, an accountability system that erodes trust in educators, rising mental health issues in youth, and school violence are all playing into critical staffing shortages in Colorado’s schools. And educators are worried that other large, systemic issues connected to underfunding are hurting their students. That’s according to the annual State of Education … Continued

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