Home go to the Great Education Colorado homepage About this blog Donate to keep this forum going! Contribute your thoughts in this forum Sign Up for email updates Disclaimer
Today the Denver Post reported that Colorado faces a $384 million budget shortfall for 2010. Proposed budget balancers include: a freeze on funding for college campus construction projects, a delay on funding for full-day kindergarten, and "slashing school spending."
And that is before the 2011 P-20 budget cliff.
Sen. Moe Keller speculated that impending shortfalls may pressure lawmakers to cut higher education funding, but because federal stimulus funds require Colorado not to cut its higher education levels, they may be spared this time.
But what is in store for next time?
How can we look ahead to create a coherent reform plan that utilizes taxpayer dollars effectively, boosts our state and national economy, and is not stifled by our tax structure?
Even better, Sam was invited to compete with the pros, and has advanced to the finals at the Johnny Carson Theater in Norfolk, Nebraska.
All this put us in a mind to provide a sneak peak at Great Ed's video featuring Sam in his role as comedian:
Now there's proof of what we already knew. If you've never seen Sam perform, you're missing one of the nation's best. Find out where you can catch him here.
Last year, Great Ed summed up the 2008 legislative session this way: "About as good as it can be, given TABOR limits." This year's recap is similar; the legislature did about as well as it could for Colorado's public schools, colleges and universities -- given TABOR limits and the worst economy since the Great Depression.
Great Ed had three legislative priorities this year: preventing deep cuts; advocating for sanity in the budget process; and promoting sustainable education reform with resources.
Because Colorado's current school finance system is in need of a major overhaul, the legislature this year passed HJR 09-1020, a resolution establishing an Interim Committee on School Finance.
Thanks to a set of amendments to HJR 1020 successfully promoted by Great Ed and a number of other education advocates, the scope of the committee is broad, including a charge to consider:
How current reform efforts, both those already statutorily enacted and those proposed by various councils and public and private sources, could be synthesized into a new school finance act with other necessary supporting legislation to create an actionable vision for Colorado's twenty-first century public education system that could and would be enacted only upon the provision of new resources by the voters of the state of Colorado[.]
The Committee held its first meeting on Thursday, listening to testimony from a couple dozen "stakeholders." about a broad variety of funding and reform issues. But out of those diverse speakers came some clear themes, including: 1) for a reformed system to be successful, we need a new school finance act with a significant, sustainable source of additional funding; and 2) we'd better come up with that funding soon, or we're going to hit "the cliff" in 2011, when Referendum C, Amendment 23's extra 1%, and federal stimulus dollars all expire.
Sports guy and comedian Sam Adams tells it like it is in this new video promoting Great Ed's "Great Futures" campaign.
Sam highlights the cliff of 2011, when Referendum C, Amendment 23's "+1%" and federal stimulus dollars all disappear. Only a statewide ballot initiative can protect Colorado's students from calamitous cuts -- and make meaningful and sustainable reform possible.
Hundreds of Coloradans have already taken the pledge "to be a part of the change to reform, renew, and adequately resource Colorado's public schools and colleges."
On the 6%, we joined the coalition headed by the Colorado Fiscal Policy Institute to make this critical change to Colorado's tangled budget laws. Through our action alert, we generated over 1,800 e-mails to state leaders in the Capitol, asking them to support SB 228. That bill is now on the way to the Governor's desk for his expected signature.
On protecting public schools from deep cuts, Great Ed (and a whole bunch of parents and kids) delivered 1200+ signatures and comments to every state legislator and the governor calling on them to "provide the leadership necessary to pass a budget that truly values public education -- preschool through higher ed."
As reported by Ed News Colorado, legislators listened to those concerns and improved the School Finance Act, while still responding to the realities of Colorado's economic distress:
The key remaining issue was whether there should be a $110 million reduction in the overall increase in state aid to K-12 schools next year. The Senate proposed a $150 million cut, to help preserve the solvency of the State Education Fund. An early House version proposed a $110 million cut, but that was stripped on the floor.
The conference committee voted 5-1 to give school districts the $110 million - but to tell them it can't be spent until Jan. 6, 2010, after the Joint Budget Committee has reviewed December revenue forecasts and decides if further state budget cuts are needed.
(**UPDATE: The final version of School Finance passed both houses on Tuesday with a small tweak: districts can't spend the $110 million until January 30, and the whole legislature (rather than the JBC) will decide the fate of those funds.**)
Likewise, the legislature was able to avoid the $300 million in cuts to higher education threatened earlier in the session.
These are important victories that reconfirm the importance of grassroots engagement. And now that we've helped prevent precipitous backsliding in education investment, Great Ed's goal is to build on these grassroots efforts to move Colorado forward, toward well-resourced, sustainable educational reform that will best serve our children, students and economy.
Earlier in this legislative session, Great Education Colorado Action joined a broad coalition of organizations supporting S.B. 228 -- a bill to untie one part of Colorado's formulaic fiscal knot, the "Arveschoug-Bird" 6% limit on the growth of general fund spending.
Great Ed supporters flooded the Capitol with over 1800 e-mails in support of this critical legislation, creating momentum that helped turn the tide on this landmark legislation.
It appears that the Governor has brokered a deal on 228 to eliminate the 6% restriction and create a rainy day fund, while guaranteeing a level of funding for transportation in good economic years. (Under current law, all revenues above the 6% general fund growth restriction flow automatically to roads and capital construction.) Read the Denver Post coverage here.
The deal still has to be approved by both the House and the Senate, so it's not done yet. Nonetheless, it is not too early to thank the Colorado Fiscal Policy Institute, the driving force behind the 6% fix, as well as the bill's prime sponsors, Senator John Morse and Representative Don Marostica.
Once again, Colorado's failure to fund schools adequately is interfering with pioneering reform efforts. The Denver Post reports today:
[School Finance Act] Co-sponsor Rep. Christine Scanlan says the House Education Committee will begin scaling back plans to give cash bonuses to schools that boost achievement among their large populations of at-risk students. She plans to amend the bill to drop funding for so-called "centers of excellence" from $4.4 million to $2 million, dedicating the majority of what's left instead to programs that pay for outside help for struggling schools.
The move is in part a response to the $150 million the state plans to take from the K-12 education budget and partly thanks to worries that the bill as now written causes too much pain for small and struggling schools.
Working within a budget that is several sizes too small for the needs of Colorado's kids, the only way that funds can be freed up for valuable reforms like "centers of excellence" is to take funds from other schools and districts. In the case of the Senate version of the School Finance Act, the reforms were financed by reductions for small and declining enrollment districts that are already struggling to maintain their teaching corps and educational opportunities.
Do we want meaningful and sustainable reform? Do we want to upgrade our schools to 21st century standards? Is our goal a great education for every child, or just a system of triage that tries to maximize outcomes with the inadequate resources we've set aside for educating the next generation?
Colorado seems to be looking educational reform and quality on the cheap. How's that working out for us so far?
Some scenes from today's delivery of Great Education Colorado Action petition signatures to State House and Senate members. You can still sign the petition: we'll send additional signatures to legislators electronically!
With Senator Lois Tochtrop.
One crew of delivery kids.
With Senators Romer, Foster and Hudak on the Senate floor.
A conversation with Senator Foster.
Future committee members.
Many thanks to the participating kids and families! Message delivered.
UPDATE: check the current number of petition signatures at the Great Ed Action Homepage: www.greatedaction.org
Just 5 days ago, Great Ed launched an online petition calling on state leaders to protect public education -- preschool through higher education -- from even deeper cuts this year.
Great Ed set a goal for 1000 signatures by Thursday night -- and blew by that number on Wednesday afternoon. Now we're shooting for 1250.
The need for pressure on the Legislature to protect education could not be more clear. With the apparent demise of the plan to use Pinnacol's reserve funds to balance the budget, a $300 million shortfall has lawmakers looking to K-12 as a source of funding -- even though the current budget funds schools at $150 mllion below the requirements of the Constitution (Amendment 23).
Facing an historic budget crisis, the legislature is now considering deep cuts in programs and services, including P-12 and higher education.
The Great Ed petition calls on legislators to create a budget that truly values public education:
We know that in tough times, everyone must tighten their belts.
But the severe cuts that the Legislature is now considering for K-12 and higher education will prevent and reverse innovation and reforms, eliminate hundreds of teaching jobs, undermine the state's ability to improve teaching and learning, and permanently close off educational opportunities to Colorado students of all ages.
These cuts will only worsen our economic condition -- especially when Colorado already ranks near the bottom in education investment.
We do not accept that Colorado is a state that can keep colleges open only by slashing K-12 funding. We call on you to oppose these severe cuts and to provide the leadership necessary to pass a budget that truly values public education -- preschool through higher ed.
Reporting on the budget process is always a challenge, but this year the shifting landscape makes it almost impossible.
Here's what it looks like as of this writing:
As reported by Education News Colorado, the School Finance Act passed by the Senate last week provides a 2.4% increase in per pupil school funding, which amounts to something closer to "inflation minus one," than the "inflation plus one percent" required by Amendment 23.
Meanwhile, the Legislature is struggling to find $300 million in funding for higher education, not only to avoid tuition increases and community college closures, but because the State will forgo all education stimulus stabilization dollars if we can't fund higher education at 2006 levels. (Notably, it appears that those federal education stabilization dollars will only prevent even deeper cuts, rather than restore the funding).
Colorado's long-time story line of pitting K-12 against higher education continues, as some have recommended taking an additional $100 million out of K-12 funding (even further violating Amendment 23). From the Denver Post:
Among the GOP's so-called big-ticket items was Colorado Springs Sen. Keith King's plan to further reduce public-school funding and give the $100 million to higher-education programs such as remedial courses, pre-collegiate curriculum and teacher training.
Were another $100 million taken out of the School Finance Act, schools would be funded approximately $250 million below the requirements of Amendment 23, which the voters passed in 2000 to protect kids in good times and bad.
Sunday's Denver Post was overflowing with stories and commentary about the overlapping issues of school funding and education reform. The fact that the School Finance bill wending its way through the legislature currently funds schools at $150 million below the constitutional requirements of Amendment 23, provides an interesting context for these three Post articles:
-- Dan Haley lauds DPS' move toward fostering autonomy and innovation, calling on Denver voters to support candidates for the DPS school board who will maintain that direction. Notably, ensuring the continuing vitality of successful innovative programs (many of which receive significant additional private funding), and scaling up those successes to benefit larger numbers of DPS and Colorado students will require sustainable resources.
-- At a time when many, including the President, are calling for increased instruction time as a critical component of education reform, Colorado school finance is pushing districts in the opposite direction. Several school districts are considering going to four-day weeks to deal with shrinking budgets. In Elizabeth, the move is also designed to help retain teachers who otherwise go to districts where they are paid better. Moving to a four-day week may well be the best way for some school districts to cut costs without reducing services to kids -- but it doesn't leave much room for increased instruction time. Moreover, many parents and district officials are concerned that the move will shift the cost to working parents who will have to pay for child care on the fifth day.
-- And, finally, the editorial board wrote thoughtfully and hopefully about Colorado's chances of getting a $500 million "Race to the Top" education reform grant from the federal government, wisely warning:
[S]ignificant thought needs to go into creating reforms that will have a lasting effect when the federal money goes away. Either they must be one-time expenses that lead to enduring change or new funding sources must be devised to support them. It would be unacceptably wasteful to see reforms get off to a good start only to wither for lack of money. [Emphasis added]
The Denver Post reports today on a looming "brawl" at the Capitol:
School districts that lower local property taxes - and thereby reduce the shares that they pay of their own education budgets - might not have the state funding to make up the difference.
Lawmakers are trying to block end runs around a mill levy freeze recently upheld by the state Supreme Court in what today promises to ignite a political conflagration over school financing.
Here's what's going on: the Mesa County Commissioners who were on the losing end of the mill levy case now want their school district to cut property taxes. But they aren't willing to accept the consequences of that action. They want the state to backfill the loss of property taxes to the district.
Here's the sad thing: our Attorney General, John Suthers, wants to enable this behavior, saying:
"It would be a shame to see the legislature penalize children when informed voters exercise their right to choose lower property taxes[.]"
No, it would be a shame if voters didn't understand that when they "exercise their right to choose lower property taxes" the services available for their children will be reduced. That's the connection between taxes and children's well-being that is too often forgotten in post-TABOR Colorado.
Suthers' statement reflects exactly the kind of "something-for-nothing" thinking that has put our state and our country in the mess we are in right now. It is a mindset that expects all the benefits of public citizenship and none of the responsibility.
Great Education Colorado is a nonpartisan, statewide, grassroots organization of public school
supporters that advocates for adequate funding for K-12 education in Colorado.
1600 Downing St | Denver, CO 80218 | 303.722.5901
