Colorado paid down its deficit to public education to its lowest level since 2010 while also creating a separate fund for special education under a pair of laws signed by Gov. Jared Polis on Thursday., is one of the few must-pass bills taken up by the legislature this year. In it, lawmakers increased per-pupil funding by $545 for the next school year and cut the deficit in constitutionally required public education funding from $503 million to $321 million.
“The school finance act did make a record investment in buying down the BS factor,” sponsor Rep. Julie McCluskie, a Dillon Democrat, said, theatrically emphasizing the acronym for the deficit. “That nasty thing that has been haunting us now for more than a decade. And we want to commit to being able to buy that off in the next year or two.”
Meanwhile, pay, class sizes and broader stresses are taking their toll on the profession, she said. In a recent survey, two-thirds of CEA members said they considered leaving the profession at the end of this school year, Baca-Oehlert said.
Or, we could elect heidiganahl and just get more guns in schools.