Colorado school districts, now in their second year of reduced state support, face continued uncertainty about funding as they start planning for the 2011-12 school year.
As Colorado’s only news service devoted solely to coverage of education news, issues and policy, Education News Colorado is paying close attention to this issue.
This page is intended to be a regularly updated one-stop resource for news, data and more about Colorado’s school funding situation. We hope you’ll bookmark it and refer to it frequently to keep abreast of what’s happening in your district and across the state.
Recent EdNews stories
Voters say yes to districts
Despite the lingering recession and mid-term malaise, voters mostly said yes to school district tax increases. Story
Budget plan gives K-12 a bit more
Schools would receive a slight increase in state support under Gov. Bill Ritter’s proposed 2011-12 budget, but not enough to cover projected enrollment growth and inflation, and the total would be far short of the full Amendment 23 formula. Story
Ritter K-12 cuts a wash
Gov. Bill Ritter is proposing to cut current state support of schools by $156.3 million, money he said would be replaced by the $159 million in federal Edujobs funding recently awarded to the state. Story
Jeffco ponders fresh cuts
Jeffco faces more steep budget cuts and the possible loss of 196 jobs if next year’s budget picture doesn’t brighten, 9News reports. Story
Six districts get emergency state aid
The legislative Joint Budget Committee has thrown a lifeline to six Colorado school districts struggling with cash-flow problems because of proposed Amendment 61. The committee has approved allocation of $2.9 million in state money to the Department of Education’s contingency fund for use as loans or grants to the districts by the State Board of Education. Story
Another budget shortfall looms
Colorado needs to cover another $256 million shortfall in the current 2010-11 state budget, state economists have told the Joint Budget Committee. Story
Edujobs becomes law – now what?
The $10 billion Edujobs law was signed with much fanfare, but now states and school districts are trying to figure out what it means for them. It turns out that Colorado may have some difficulty establishing its eligibility for the program, although officials think that can be ironed out. Along the way, EdNews found out that no one really knows how many Colorado education jobs have been lost because of budget cuts. Story
Also: Archive of EdNews stories on the state budget and school finance
Data
• Colorado Department of Education spreadsheet of district 2010-11 budgets
• Colorado School Finance Project spreadsheet of cuts for selected districts
• Great Education Colorado’s interactive map of cuts for selected districts Budget information for the state’s 10 largest districts
(Links go to information on district websites. The level of detail varies by district.)
- Adams 12/Five Star
- Aurora
- Boulder Valley
- Cherry Creek
- Colorado Springs District 11
- Denver
- Douglas County
- Jefferson County
- Poudre
- St. Vrain Valley
Archive of news stories from around the state
(Links are to articles in local media.)
Stories for week beginning Sept. 27, 2010
Stories for week beginning Sept. 5, 2010
- Estes Park board approves ballot language for A61 bond measure
- Cripple Creek reduces mill-levy request
- Jeffco mulling bond, override in 2011
Stories for week beginning Aug. 29, 2010
- Summit kicks off campaign for passage of override
- Enrollment decline squeezes Parachute budget
- Littleton feeling multi-year budget woes
- Salida board approves bond issue ballot language
- Littleton board opposes three ballot measures
- Mesa board decides against a bond issue
Stories for week beginning Aug. 22, 2010
- Aspen schools to seek tax increase
- Boulder residents will vote on tax hike
- Fort Collins considers closing, consolidating schools
- Platte Valley schools switch to four-day week
- St. Vrain Valley gets $5 million for jobs
Stories for week beginning Aug. 15, 2010
- Parent volunteers fill budget cut gaps in Boulder
- South Routt will seek override
- Boulder teachers agree to two-year contract
- Durango board votes to seek tax increase
- Granby district may have to shut down mid-year (9News)
- Three ballot initiatives could devastate Montrose district
- St. Vrain teachers want step increases
- Summit schools will ask for tax hike
- Thompson district considers tax increase in 2011
Stories for week beginning Aug. 8, 2010
- Aspen polling voters on tax hike
- Cherry Creek board opposes 60, 61 and 101
- Falcon school district will seek $125 million bond
- Fort Collins district puts bond, mill question on ballot
- Greeley board changes mind on high school parking fees
- Holyoke board considers $400,000 ballot question
Stories for week beginning Aug. 1, 2010
- Mesa mulls raising lunch prices
- Fort Collins budget cuts could limit access to special classes
- Steamboard board opposes 60, 61, 101
- Summit County board to discuss tax increase
Stories for week beginning July 25, 2010
Stories for week beginning July 18, 2010
- Aspen considering tax question in November
- A look inside Durango’s possible tax proposal
- Budget cuts force changes in longstanding Poudre summer music program
- Cripple Creek will seek mill levy override
- Hayden plans to ask for override
Stories for week beginning July 11, 2010
Stories for week beginning July 4, 2010
Stories for week beginning June 27, 2010
- East Grand trims 2010-11 budget
- Greeley approves $175 million budget
- Durango considering fall override vote
- Cripple Creek mulling ballot measure
- Sterling trims sports spending
Stories for week beginning June 20, 2010
- Boulder Valley moves ahead with tax question
- Colorado Springs cuts $13 million
- Summit takes on looming cuts
Stories for week beginning June 13, 2o10
- Adams Five-Star says yes to bus fees, job cuts
- Aurora schools approve final budget
- Boulder Valley reaches tentative agreement with teachers
- Cherry Creek school board gives final budget approval
- Durango district finds support for tax hike
- Metro-area superintendents skip raises
Stories for week beginning June 6, 2010
- Second Pueblo union declares impasse over pay
- Planning eases cuts for Roaring Fork
- St. Vrain board OKs budget with no step raises
- Steamboat cuts ELL, gifted and talented
- Hoping for teacher settlement, Boulder Valley board delays budget vote
- Delta cuts 17 teaching slots
Stories for week beginning May 30, 2010
- Aurora board approves teacher compensation package
- Cañon City tries to be thoughtful about cuts
- Citizen panel decides against East Grand tax vote
- Agreement reached on Cherry Creek salary freeze
- Contract negotiations on hold in St. Vrain
- Woodland Park considering bus fees …
… Adams 12 mulling bus charges
Stories for week beginning May 23, 2010
- Boulder school board cuts its own budget
- Boulder teachers faces pay cut or job losses
- Colo. superintendents weigh bonuses, raises
- Dougco schools ok transportation, athletic fees
- Durango teachers, staff will see pay freeze
- Englewood board restores 5.5 jobs with reserves
- Grand Junction schools identify $4.4 million in cuts
- … Grand Junction teachers, staff to lose two days in 2010-11
- Pueblo 70 cuts $540,000 from central admin.
- Wage freeze, no layoffs in Roaring Fork
Stories for week beginning May 16, 2010
- Aspen schools get funding reprieve
- Douglas County students to pay for bus rides
- Jefferson County schools to lose 136 jobs
- Pueblo City non-renews 78 teachers in budget trim
- Roaring Fork cuts less than expected
- Sterling schools cut athletics
Stories for week beginning May 9, 2010
- Aspen facing $1 million in cuts
- Boulder Valley considering retirement incentives
- Dougco parents seek donations for schools (9News, with video)
- Florence to outsource food service
- Jeffco to cut $14 million next year (9News)
- Littleton citizens discuss possible mill-levy override
- Board, union reach pay agreement in Jeffco
- Montrose won’t replace most retiring employees
- St. Vrain to spend down reserves
- Boulder district cuts equity office, vows to keep working on issue
- Cherry Creek board approves change in school start times
- Greeley board able to reverse some budget cuts
- Summit County teachers agree to salary freeze
- Thompson district adds $170,400 back to budget
Stories for week beginning May 2, 2010
- Aurora board receives proposed budget
- Cherry Creek may shrink bus boundaries
- Poudre to cut 3 percent of positions
- Moody’s upgrades St. Vrain bond rating
- St. Vrain declares impasse in teacher talks
Stories for week beginning April 25, 2010
- Boulder to cut $4.2 million in jobs, salaries or benefits
- Options for Gunnison cuts become clearer
- Roundup of Pikes Peak district cuts
- Poudre parents worried about cuts
- Pueblo City scales back number of possible layoffs …
- … Budget cuts mean credit cuts in Pueblo City
- St. Vrain won’t cut teachers
- Summit to cut $867,000
Stories for week beginning April 18, 2010
- Cortez takes fine-tooth comb to budget
- Three probationary teachers let go in Durango
- Greeley teachers have until Tuesday to vote on contract …
- … 100 positions could be lost under Greeley “straw” budget
- Mesa superintendent turns down raise
- Tiny Peetz not worried about cuts
- Pueblo County board votes to outsource transportation
- Thompson has $900,000 cushion
Stories for week beginning April 11, 2010
- Boulder superintendent says he doesn’t want raise or bonus
- Boulder Valley to keep 5th grade music but may tighten staffing
- Brush doesn’t expect further staff cuts
- Florence decides against four-day week
- Littleton mulling mill-levy override
- Two Pueblo districts continue cooperation talks
Stories for week beginning April 4, 2010
- Boulder superintendent “relieved” at size of cut
- Transportation, security guards may be cut in Cherry Creek
- Florence considering four-day week
- Montrose, Olathe feel they can weather cuts
- Poudre offers buyouts to teachers
- Pueblo County teachers offer budget ideas
- Thompson working on last $2.7 million in cuts
Stories for week beginning March 28, 2010
- Aspen staff brainstorms possible cuts
- Gunnison issues first draft of budget
- Steamboat to cut staff
- Sterling looks at using reserves
Stories for week beginning March 21, 2010
- Boulder Valley student-teacher ratios to rise
- Cortez looking at 7 percent cut
- Delta to sell some cars for a little cash
- Durango board reaches rough consensus of $2.7 million in cuts
- Mesa mulling no-class Fridays …
- … More than 100 Mesa employees take early retirements
- Four-day week still possible in Norwood
- Roaring Fork looking at three budget scenarios
- Summit County teachers likely to feel pain of budget cuts …
- … Summit may cut IB administration
- Telluride parents, superintendent spar over admin salaries
Stories for week beginning March 14, 2010
- Majority of Poudre budget survey responses from employees
- Springs District 11 board declines to raise parking fees
- Thompson may change employee health insurance
- Adams 12 schools to cut $24 million; 185 to lose jobs …
- … Watch Adams 12 Superintendent Chris Gdowski’s budget message
- Cherry Creek officials looking to Legislature for final figures
- Cripple Creek-Victor launches budget survey
- Falcon school board delays staff cuts
- Mesa District 51 launches new website on budget cuts
- Norwood, Ouray, Telluride face painful budget cuts
- Roaring Fork preps for budget cuts of up to 10 percent
- San Luis Valley districts get bad budget news
- Steamboat Springs school board discusses possible staff cuts
- West Grand considers budget cuts, fee hikes
Stories for week beginning March 7, 2010
- Bayfield to consolidate administrative jobs
- Boulder Valley cuts 24 administrative FTE
- Cherry Creek plans public forums on budget
- Colorado Springs District 11 cuts $6.7 million in first round
- Cripple Creek superintendent expects layoffs
- Half of Estes Park cuts to come from salaries
- Hayden facing cuts of nearly $500,000
- Lewis-Palmer may cut 50 teachers
- Summit set to cut up to $1.4 million
- Thompson starts to make choices about $6 million in cuts
Stories for week beginning Feb. 28, 2010
- Aspen prepares for cuts
- Aurora moving forward on planned cuts …
- … Aurora teachers protest possible job cuts
- Delta board urged to give early notice of jobs downsizing
- Dougco moves toward classroom cuts
- Durango board trains on how to explain budget issues to public
- Norwood citizens weigh in on possible reductions
- Pueblo County approves more cuts …
- … Some Pueblo County students moving to City district
- Rocky Ford to mothball one building
- Five paraprofessionals to lose jobs in Salida
- Steamboat doesn’t expect layoffs