With the legislative session now past the halfway mark, our advocacy team has key updates on multiple policy developments affecting charter schools. A number of bills making their way through the Capitol could directly influence our schools, making your attention and engagement more important than ever.

Budget Latest

Colorado's latest revenue forecasts released Monday, March 17th, indicate rising unemployment, slowing consumer spending, and economic uncertainty due to federal policy changes. Legislative economists warn of increased downside risks, with the Governor’s budget office estimating a 40% chance of recession within a year. Despite these concerns, the state's budget outlook remains largely unchanged from the December forecast, projecting a $1.1 billion dollar budget shortfall. The League is in ongoing discussions with leadership across the House, Senate, and the Governor’s office to safeguard charter school interests throughout the budget negotiation process.

At the same time, Speaker Julie McCluskie released her latest proposal for school funding late last week, and that reflected: 10% implementation of the new funding formula, retention of 4-year averaging for next year, and a hold harmless to this year's funding. It’s worth noting that, in a very unfavorable fiscal environment where virtually all areas of government are being considered for cuts, this proposal (if adopted) would likely translate into a statewide average PPR increase of 2.5 to 3% heading into next school year. While not as high as some of the increases we’ve seen in recent years as legislators sought to eliminate the so-called Budget Stabilization Factor, it would represent an increase nonetheless.

Driving Proactive Policies for Charter Schools

Despite a challenging budget climate, we are not standing still—we remain committed to advancing strategic policies that strengthen charter schools and expand educational opportunities for students. Here’s where we currently stand on our proactive policy agenda: 

Increasing the Moral Obligation Cap: We have been working closely with members of the Joint Budget Committee to raise the cap on the Moral Obligation Program, a critical tool that helps charter schools access lower-cost financing. The Colorado Treasurer’s Office has confirmed that increasing the cap from $750 million to $1 billion would not necessitate a fiscal note—an important step forward in our pursuit of this policy. We are now engaging with Senate and House leadership to try and secure its adoption.

Reducing Administrative Burden: A bipartisan bill we helped draft has passed the House Education Committee unanimously (11-0) and is about to make its way to the Senate. While we initially aimed for a more comprehensive overhaul, this bill marks progress in reducing bureaucracy by allowing schools to use their own templates for Unified Improvement Planning, cutting unnecessary red tape. This is just the beginning—next year, we aim to eliminate even more costly and outdated regulations.

Strengthening Alternative Education Campuses (AECs): Another bill we helped draft will strengthen Alternative Education Campuses (AECs)—a critical lifeline for students who need non-traditional learning environments. Charter schools make up a significant share of Colorado’s AECs, and this bill highlights their impact. It passed the House Education Committee with strong bipartisan support (11-1), with charter leaders from New America and New Legacy providing compelling testimony.

Expanding Educational Opportunity in Areas of Highest Need: During their session opening remarks, both Senate President James Coleman and Governor Jared Polis spoke passionately about “education deserts” – areas of our state where students have little to no access to high-quality public school options. They both emphasized that the time is now to do something about this persistent challenge. The League is supportive of any and all proposals that will expand educational opportunity for the students and families who need it the most, and we remain closely engaged in conversations focused on developing the legislative framework to help make this a reality.

All of this proactive work is only possible because of strong advocacy and support from our community. Stay engaged—your voice is crucial as we move forward.

Monitoring Legislation:

There have been over 500 bills introduced this session, and new education bills are being introduced daily. To keep you informed, we will provide continuous updates to the Bill Tracker. 

Here are a few bills we are keeping a close eye on: 

Education Accountability System: To improve education accountability, lawmakers passed HB 23-1241, creating a task force of 26 education leaders—including Dan Schaller, President of the League of Charter Schools—to recommend reforms. This bill aims to implement those recommendations. The League is seeking changes to the introduced bill and closely monitoring the legislation to ensure our input is included.

Invest State Funds to Benefit Communities: This legislation is a strategic enhancement to the management of the Public School Permanent Fund (PSPF) and Unclaimed Property Trust Fund (UPTF). The legislation aims to bolster community investments, particularly benefiting public school employees and educational infrastructure. The League supports this bill and it will be heard on April 1st in the Senate Finance Committee. 

Communication Devices in Schools: HB1135 initially required every district board to establish a cell phone policy that all schools under its jurisdiction must follow. Through our advocacy, we successfully added an amendment allowing charter school boards to create their own policies distinct from the local school district. The bill’s sponsors supported this amendment, and we are actively monitoring the legislation to ensure it remains intact. Currently, the bill has passed the House and will be heard in Senate Education on March 19th. 

Library Resource Decision Standards for Public Schools: Similar to the cell phone policy bill, this bill initially established a statewide process for the removal of library resources. It was later amended to grant local school districts the authority to make those policies. With our advocacy, an additional amendment now ensures that charter school boards have this same autonomy. This has passed the Senate and will be heard in House Education next week. 

Financial Literacy Graduation Requirement: This bill adds successful completion of a financial literacy course to the requirements for high school graduation and requires students to complete the FAFSA unless an exemption is granted. The League worked with proponents to amend the bill to ensure schools have more flexibility to meet the requirements set forth in the bill.

Stay Engaged:

Legislative Lunches: In addition to the Bill Tracker, we have our legislative lunches from 12:00 to 12:30 each Friday during the session, an informal conversation where members get to hear the latest news in an informal manner, including time for questions and answers from members. 

Legislative Updates: Stay informed with our regular email updates throughout the legislative calendar. Access past newsletters here. 

Direct Contact: Have questions, ideas, or feedback? Reach out to our advocacy team or contact Prateek at [email protected]. You can also text him at (720) 440-1160.

Sincerely,
The League’s Policy and Advocacy Team