2 weeks Ago
We may be in the middle of watching our federal government be hacked to bits in the name of “efficiency,” but it should go without saying that some of the work that government does is indispensable and deserving of our tax dollars. One such expenditure is education. Sadly, this truth no longer seems to be recognized at the national level.
The Trump administration has had the Department of Education in its crosshairs since long before inauguration day. And last week Trump finally signed an executive order to dismantle the department . Putting aside the myriad potential ramifications — and how disastrous they may be — what such a move says about our nation’s shifting values is deeply disheartening.
Here in Colorado, we have an opportunity to push back against this narrative and show that our values remain intact. As our state faces a $1 billion budget shortfall, Colorado’s lawmakers must work together to ensure that our public schools are provided the funding they need to give every student the chance to thrive. It is also past time that we start considering how to put these self-imposed crises behind us.
Of course, none of this is easy. A $1 billion-plus shortfall is no small gap to fill. To prevent any one department or program or service from bearing the brunt of the necessary cuts, spreading out the reductions is imperative.
And, as with all things budget, the details are extremely complicated. They are, though, nonetheless vital to understand. When it comes to K-12 funding, one hurdle has been what to do with the New Public School Finance Formula , which the Legislature passed last year.
The new formula was designed to “modernize” how schools are funded and eliminate inequities between districts. Of course, that comes with a price tag. Over its multi-year implementation, it is expected to add $500 million to K-12 coffers — money our schools and our students need and deserve.
But with the shortfall looming over the Legislature, several proposals were outlined to either pause or slow implementation. Gov. Jared Polis proposed implementing 18% of the $500 million next year while removing altogether the average student count that sees districts get per-pupil funding based on a five-year average.
For BVSD, that would see the district lose out on $5 million in expected funding. “We’re really proud of the progress we’re making in BVSD for all students,” BVSD Superintendent Rob Anderson said in a phone interview. “But I’m nervous that cuts to funding could potentially impact our ability to continue to make progress.
” “Budget cuts mean one of two things: Either you pay people less money or hire fewer people,” he continued. According to the Colorado School Finance Project , BVSD’s $5 million cut has an impact equivalent of 55 teachers. Throughout the state, Polis’ proposal would cost schools an estimated $150 million .
Another proposal , from House Speaker Julie McCluskie, would slow the implementation of the new funding formula to 10% next year, but it would allow schools to maintain a four-year average student count. Implementation would increase in the following years, while the number of years used in the average student count would decrease, ideally allowing districts to adjust to budgetary shifts. For now, the Joint Budget Committee has voted to kick the can down the road on the new formula.
While they declined to pause implementation of the new funding formula, they also didn’t provide enough funding to pay for it, at least not without putting the State Education Fund in peril. They agreed to increase general fund spending on K-12 by $150 million next year but left it up to the full Legislature to decide how to deploy that funding. That essentially means the fate of K-12 funding next year is still undecided.
The JBC’s spending plan will soon be introduced into the state Senate for debate. After that, it has to pass both chambers of the Legislature. Then Polis will have to sign it.
In other words, there is still a lot of potential uncertainty ahead. But there shouldn’t be. At least not when it comes to education.
Balancing a budget is extremely hard. Every issue has stakeholders. Every dollar counts.
Spreading the pain around is the best way to plug a shortfall. But our lawmakers must keep working to prioritize K-12 funding. In part because we can’t afford to fall further behind.
Currently, Colorado is in the bottom tier of states for education funding, with an average of just $11,317 per pupil . And a recent study shows that Colorado is $4 billion away from making schools what it wants them to be. BVSD alone is $40 million short of where it should ideally be, according to the School Finance Adequacy Study commissioned by the state .
If we’re already playing catch-up, we should be doing everything in our power to ensure our students are not made to suffer because of our financial woes. Every budget item may be important, but our children are, quite literally, our future. The best way to keep Colorado thriving is to make sure the next generation is educated and prepared to face a changing world.
Adequate and steady K-12 funding is the best way to do that. “We’re hopeful as the Legislature comes together to determine funding for next year, that they understand that, based on the adequacy studies, Colorado schools are already inadequately funded,” BVSD’s Anderson said. “Any cuts to funding — whether it’s through the way that you count students or the amount you give us per student — is going to equate to fewer resources for our kids and for our schools.
” Finally, it is worth spending a moment on one of the primary culprits of this budget mess: the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights. “When the economy is booming and the state is tightening its belt, that just doesn’t make sense, and I don’t think it’s what the people of Colorado want,” JBC Chair Jeff Bridges told The Colorado Sun . “It’s like, ‘Why are you making these cuts?’ And the answer is TABOR.
” TABOR is not without its benefits. Government bloat is real and worth diligently fighting against. But Bridges is right.
Colorado is on relatively strong economic footing , yet here we are, once again, pitting some of our most cherished expenditures against each other for funding — forcing us to somehow prioritize our values. Maybe it’s worth considering if that’s a fight we want to keep having. In the meantime, Colorado lawmakers should do what they can to keep our schools funded — and to keep that funding as stable as possible.
We owe it to our future. — Gary Garrison for the Editorial Board.
