Given that our role as a Board is to implement state legislative policy concerning public schools, it is important that we both understand policies being debated by legislators and weigh in on the issues that would, if passed into law, impact Jeffco students, families and staff.
In January 2023, the Board approved a framework of our broad legislative priorities summarized below.
Our goal in putting forward these priorities is to better position ourselves to partner with state legislators and to engage with them consistently and responsively around legislation focused on the needs of K-12 students, and contextualize the realities of locally controlled school districts. As the current legislative session progresses, the Board will vote on taking a position on specific legislative bills or action.
Below are excerpts from the Board’s legislative framework. You can read them in their entirety on this webpage.
Responding to Declining Enrollment
We need legislators and other elected officials to be partners in understanding the complexity of issues school districts face; the funding required to provide not just a baseline but a thriving experience for students; and the support needed to address changing K-12 contexts and ensure effective and efficient use of resources in a climate of shifting demographics and subsequent declining enrollment.
School Funding Efficiency and Effectiveness
As public school districts are expected to take on more and more delivery of programs and services to students and their families, it is critical that we collectively understand the costs of doing so, so that we can do it well. We support convening a study group to understand successful school funding models and how those models could apply to a public education context in Colorado.
Accountability System Redesign
We believe Colorado can have the premier accountability system in the country, one that is also meaningful to our communities. To accomplish this, the State’s accountability system must evolve.
Financial Priorities
- Reduce the Budget Stabilization Factor
- Provide districts with funding pursuant to a formula that balances federal, state and local revenue sources and is intended to fully fund the legal requirements for, and meet the educational needs of, all Colorado students
- Avoid creating new grant programs that use resources that could be more equitably allocated to the school finance act, benefiting all districts
- Use of an overarching set of principles to guide the work of the School Finance Task Force including revenue adequacy, taxpayer equity, funding of students and districts, gradual implementation, and predictable funding
This Board is proud to set forth a proactive platform to ensure that Jeffco gets the voice it deserves at the state legislature on issues that impact us as a district. We believe that this platform provides an opportunity to enhance the strong relationships that exist between district leadership and state representatives. Additionally, our hope is that it supports our efforts to identify allies among our municipal colleagues who have a vested interest in issues that impact our shared communities.
We expect to have a monthly legislative update through May in our Board materials and/or during our study sessions. Please follow along and reach out to the Board or to individual board members with your thoughts and perspectives on education-related activities at the legislature. We welcome the opportunity to hear from you.