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Colorado’s Budget Crisis: Our Students Deserve Better March 7, 2011

Colorado’s Budget Crisis: Our Students Deserve Better March 7, 2011. Colorado school funding is in trouble We rank 44 th in funding for K-12 and higher education per $1,000 of personal income Source: Quality Counts, 2011 Just six other states spend less on education funding than Colorado.

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Colorado’s Budget Crisis: Our Students Deserve Better March 7, 2011

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  1. Colorado’s Budget Crisis:Our Students Deserve BetterMarch 7, 2011

  2. Colorado school funding is in trouble • We rank 44th in funding for K-12 and higher education per $1,000 of personal income Source: Quality Counts, 2011 • Just six other states spend less on education funding than Colorado. • Other states are not cutting education and some are making investments this year.

  3. Colorado spends $1,682 less per pupil than the national average. Source: Colorado School Finance Project, 2008

  4. Public education now faces more cuts Governor Hickenlooper’s 2011-12 budget proposal calls for $570 million more in cuts on top of what was recommended in November 2010

  5. Budget proposal includes a $332 million cut to K-12 funding That results in an average reduction of nearly $500 in funding per pupil.

  6. Why cut K-12? • It’s where the money is. 41% of the state’s General Fund budget goes to fund K-12 education.

  7. Over 95% of the General Fund budget goes to just five areas of service: • K-12 education • Healthcare policy and financing (like Medicaid) • Human services (targeted mostly at most vulnerable and at-risk populations) • Corrections, Public Safety, and Judicial • Higher education

  8. How did we get here?

  9. Our funding problem is complicated and has grown over time.

  10. The combination of TABOR and Gallagher has damaged local revenue support for schools. It also impedes the state’s ability to ensure adequate funding for essential public services like education.

  11. The effect on K-12 education is devastating • Bigger class sizes as teachers are laid off. • Elimination of critical programs (like those to close achievement gaps, lower drop out rates, and increase college readiness). • Reducing or eliminating transportation services. • Cuts to student support services and activities like athletics.

  12. The timing couldn’t be worse Colorado is implementing a number of significant education initiatives around standards and assessments, educator effectiveness and accountability.

  13. At the same time, the needs of our students are increasing. • Colorado has a very high number of children living in poverty compared to other states. • Our at-risk (free lunch), ELL, and SPED student populations are growing.

  14. Student needs and the public’s expectations for education are increasing at the same time that resources and funds are being cut.

  15. Every Colorado school district will take a hit. So what’s next?

  16. New report findings just released from the University of Denver • Colorado’s economy on track to grow, but we’ll never generate the tax dollars needed to adequately fund schools, services for the most in need, higher education, prisons, and transportation.

  17. State level proposals • Incremental income and sales tax increase to benefit P-20 education (Senator Rollie Heath) • Graduated income tax (Carol Hedges and the Colorado Fiscal Policy Institute) • Tax amnesty for businesses and individuals (Senator Pat Steadman and Representative Mark Ferrandino)

  18. School adequacy lawsuit (Lobato) • Trial begins in August; a “game changer” • Colorado Reform Roundtable • CASE is a participant

  19. We need to get behind a proposal with a solid chance of succeeding, that presents a long-term solution for adequately funding K-12 and other essential services.

  20. Colorado students deserve better.

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