Colorado Financial Adequacy Study
Policymakers recommended that the Colorado Department of Education examine the costs necessary to adequately provide Colorado students with a thorough and uniform public education. The Department has contracted with AIR to conduct this research.
Updating Colorado’s public school finance formula to be student-centered is a bold step toward improving equity in school funding and delivering a high-quality education to every student in Colorado no matter where they reside.
- Speaker Julie McCluskie, CO General Assembly
AIR researchers are conducting an analysis of Colorado’s education spending that will:
- Describe how funding is distributed across schools under the existing funding system;
- Determine adequacy of current student outcomes and the relationship between student outcomes and student need characteristics;
- Identify the cost of achieving a target student outcome level for each school in the state, with costs varying based on levels of student need, school or district context, and geographic cost of living differences; and
- Estimate components of a new funding formula (base funding and weights for additional funds to address specific needs).
Along with these analyses, AIR is reaching out to members of the public via a survey and a series of virtual town halls to ensure that their voices are heard, and their perspectives are considered to inform the study and recommendations to the state.
We are excited to hear from Colorado residents interested in the state’s school funding systems, including students, parents, educators, community members, business groups, advocates, and policymakers.
Public Survey: Coloradans, Share Your Thoughts!
Please take a short (10-minute) survey to share your views on Colorado’s school funding system. Your participation will help inform recommendations to state policymakers on issues related to K-12 school funding in education, including the current adequacy of school funding, essential skills for students, and key programmatic elements (e.g., special education, English learners). There's still time, but the survey closes at the end of September 2024.
Virtual Town Halls
AIR will hold eight Virtual Town Halls, one dedicated for each Department's region of the state. These Town Halls will be conducted in August and September at the dates and times listed below. All times are in Mountain Daylight Time (MDT).
Please register for the Town Hall meeting associated with your region using the links below. Two new Town Hall meetings added! Everyone is invited to attend.
Tuesday, September 24, 7:00-8:30 p.m. | Register
Friday, September 27, 12-1:30 p.m. | Register
Southwest | September 12, 4:00-5:30 p.m. | Register
West Central | September 17, 4:00-5:30 p.m. | Register
Metro Area | August 27, 4:00-5:30 p.m. | Completed
North Central | August 28, 4:00-5:30 p.m. | Completed
Northeast | September 4, 4:00-5:30 p.m. | Completed
Northwest | September 5, 4:00-5:30 p.m. | Completed
Pikes Peak | September 10, 4:00-5:30 p.m. | Completed
Southeast | September 11, 4:00-5:30 p.m. | Completed
