Colorado has failed for decades to properly fund K12 education, resulting in a teacher shortage crisis, severely understaffed schools, and struggling kids who are falling behind. There is a $10 billion funding gap as of 2023. The state’s education system has been propped up by one-time pandemic funding, but that funding will end resulting in budget cuts to teacher pay.

Prioritizing education funding will help us increase pay for teachers who have worked hard throughout the pandemic to continue providing quality education for our students so that we can attract and retain the best and the brightest.

We will know our schools are fully funded when we can increase the pay of hardworking teachers to help keep them in the classrooms, attract and retain additional teachers for our schools to reduce class size, and provide more one-on-one supportive learning.