SB 19-246: Public School Finance 

Section 1 of the bill increases the statewide base per pupil funding for the 2019-20 budget year by $182.76 to account for inflation, for a new statewide base per pupil funding of $6,951.53. Section 2 sets the minimum district total program funding for the 2019-20 budget year. The district total program funding reflects a $100 million reduction in the dollar amount of the budget stabilization factor over the prior budget year. Section 3 amends the professional development and student support program (program) for English language learners and educators who work with English language learners to distribute money appropriated for the program's services and educator professional development activities proportionately, based on the level of English language proficiency of the students served by the program. Section 4, for the 2019-20 budget year, distributes $20 million on a per pupil basis to large rural school districts and small rural school districts, including district charter schools and each institute charter school whose accounting district is a large or small rural school district. Large rural school districts share 55% of the appropriation, and small rural school districts share 45% of the appropriation. The bill bases the distribution on a school district's funded pupil count for the 2018-19 budget year. The bill specifies the intended uses of the money. The bill requires each rural district that receives money to report to the department of education concerning the district's use of the money. Under existing law, the state appropriates a certain amount per pupil to fund services for all children with disabilities, which is referred to as tier A funding, and a separate amount to fund services for children identified with certain disabilities, which is referred to as tier B funding. Section 5 increases the amount of tier B funding by $22 million and allows the amount to be appropriated from the state education fund or the general fund. Sections 6 to 9 appropriate money for the bill.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)  

CEA has consistently called for an increase buy down to the budget stabilization factor beyond the $77 million proposed by then Gov. Hickenlooper while the Senate was still majority Republican.  The final bill included an additional $23 million buy down of the budget stabilization factor ($100 million total), $22 million base building increase to SpEd funding, and one-time $20 million for Rural Schools.