Great Futures Start with a Great Education

Winter/Spring2010

Great Education Colorado is a statewide, nonpartisan, grassroots organization focused on improving education in Colorado through wise, increased investment in our schools, colleges and universities.

Great Education Colorado

Mission

What Do We Want For Our Kids?

Is Colorado Investing In Our Children’s Future?

•40th in K-12 per pupil funding (42nd adjusted for COL)

•$1,397 below national average in per pupil spending (or $1,919 adjust for COL)

•42nd/46th in poverty gap measures

•42nd in pupil to teacher ratio

•41st in technology in our schools

•$0 for professional development

How is Colorado Doing?

Why the gap?

Schools are funded by a combination of:

LOCAL (property taxes) +

STATE (general fund) +

FEDERAL (mostly special ed and “Title I”)

School Funding

Gallagher: lowers personal property taxes - was once major source of school funding. Now it’s the state’s general fund.

TABOR: limits growth of state and local revenues. Result - can’t fund cost of government faced with increasing demands.

A. 23: State must increase schoolfunding by inflation + 1% thru 2011. Reinterpreted in 2009 = irrelevant.

Gallagher, TABOR and Amendment 23

Statewide – 7.5% $431 million Over $500 per student

Tough Decisions:Cut school days; close schools; increase class size; freeze

wages/reduce benefits; teacher layoffs; eliminate/charge for transportation; eliminate special art/music/electives; cut

instructional coach and literacy staff…

Proposed Cuts to K-12Education

“But K-12 Funding is Taking More and More of the Budget!”

•Schools were funded 60% local, 40% state. Now reversed (37%-63%)

• Gallagher + TABOR + School Finance Act = huge reduction in property tax ($3.1 billion annual average)

• State share of K-12 funding: $3.15 billion (Local $2.4 billion)

Increased student achievement*:• Individual attention/smaller classes• Professional Development-quality teachers• Summer School• Counselors• Pre-School & Full Day KindergartenAugenblick, Palaich and Associate and Colorado School Finance Project, 2008

More Money Not the GoalBut the Means

What do we want for our kids?

•{Optional: Discussion Element}

***

Colorado: 48th Higher Ed Funding

(per capita)

How Low Can Higher Ed Go?

Colorado and Higher Education

• 2009-10: $56 million cut. Federal $$ prevented far worse.

• 2010-11: Less Federal $$. Drastic cuts offset in part by tuition increase.

• 30% of family Income pays for 4 year college

• 17% gap between whites and minorities enrolled in college (18-24 year olds) - one of largest in U.S.

2011Expiration of-

• Referendum C

• Federal Stimulus Funds

• Amendment 23

Proposition 101 Reduces Government Revenues: Car registration, license fees, income tax rate, phone bill taxes. Result: $2 billion/year

A. 60 Limits Property Taxes & Voids TABOR Elections Cut local property taxes for schools in 1/2. Override local “de-Brucing”

A. 61 Limits Government Debt Ban use of debt to finance capital construction. Destroy BEST

>Result $2 Billion Lost Revenue<

The Bad Three

• Share the story of Colorado’s school funding crisis

• Work together to promote a long term solution (stay tuned)

•Great Education provides easy tools

What Can We Do?

Tell the Story … greateducation.org/map

Today We Can…•Sign the Great Futures Pledge

Help us reach 2010 in 2010 www.greateducation.org/pledge

•Donate $10 or more if you can•Join the Great Futures Colorado Campaign

(as an organization)•Set up a Great Futures presentation

Contact Information

Patty BortzMetro Outreach

Great Education Colorado303-722-5901

patty@greateducation.org