Bill > SB023

This bill modifies how public schools are financed in Colorado, with changes to the statewide base per pupil funding and the calculation of total program funding for districts and charter schools, primarily affecting the 2025-26 and 2026-27 budget years, and extending some provisions through the 2030-31 budget year. * **Statewide Base Per Pupil Funding:** For the 2026-27 budget year, the statewide base per pupil funding is set at $8,900.40, which includes an inflation adjustment. This provision is set to expire on July 1, 2032. * **Total Program Funding for All Districts:** For the 2026-27 budget year, the sum of total program funding for all districts, including institute charter schools, is projected to be at least $10,178,856,871. Mid-year revisions will be made to adjust for actual figures. This provision also expires on July 1, 2032. * **Cost of Living Factor:** The bill adjusts how the cost of living factor for districts is calculated for the 2025-26, 2026-27, and 2027-28 budget years, using data from 2023 and 2025 cost of living analyses. * **Charter School Funding Calculations:** Significant changes are made to how charter schools' funding is calculated, particularly for the 2026-27 budget year and continuing through the 2030-31 budget year. These changes involve how charter schools' pupil enrollment, at-risk pupils, English language learner pupils, and special education pupils are factored into funding calculations, aiming to phase in new calculation methods. * **School Transformation Grants:** The bill clarifies the eligibility and purpose of school transformation grants for grants issued on or after July 1, 2026, aligning them with specific school redesign strategies.