SB 25-223

Senate Bill 25-223, which has been signed into law in Colorado, changes how the state allocates funding for charter schools. Starting from the 2025-26 budget year, it stops distributing certain funds to multi-district online schools that are part of the state’s charter school institute. Additionally, if these online schools receive extra funding from local school districts, the state will reduce its own contributions accordingly. This bill also cuts $1,084,494 from the state education fund for mill levy equalization purposes. The law affects how funds are distributed to charter and online schools in Colorado, impacting both the state’s budget and these educational institutions’ funding sources.

Official Summary

Beginning with the 2025-26 budget year, and each budget year thereafter, the state charter school institute (institute) shall not distribute a portion of its appropriated mill levy equalization funds to multi-district online schools that are authorized by the institute. Beginning in the 2024-25 budget year, if the institute receives additional mill levy revenue from a school district for an institute charter school within the geographic boundary of the school district, the general assembly shall deduct the additional mill levy revenue from the amount necessary to fully fund mill levy equalization. The act decreases an appropriation from the state education fund to the department of education for use by the institute for mill levy equalization by $1,008,494. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Votes