SB 17-029

Senate Bill 17-029 aims to increase funding for full-day kindergarten in Colorado. It raises the supplemental funding for kindergarten from a half-day equivalent to more than that of a half-day pupil starting in the 2017-18 school year, with plans to fully fund full-day kindergarten by 2023. The bill also allows the state to keep extra money it collects and use it specifically to support full-day kindergarten programs and other education needs. Since the bill has been signed into law, Colorado will now have more resources dedicated to providing full-day kindergarten for its students starting in the next budget year.

Official Summary

Under existing law, the 'Public School Finance Act of 1994' funds kindergarten students as half-day pupils plus the supplemental kindergarten enrollment. Under existing law, the supplemental kindergarten enrollment is an additional .08 of a full-day pupil. The bill increases the supplemental kindergarten enrollment for the 2017-18 budget year and each budget year thereafter to .15 of a full-day pupil. The bill expresses the general assembly's intent to increase funding annually for full-day kindergarten starting in the 2018-19 budget year and continuing through the 2022-23 budget year so that by the 2022-23 budget year, the general assembly is funding kindergarten students as full-day pupils. Pursuant to referendum C passed by the voters in 2005, the state is currently authorized to retain and spend up to a capped amount of revenues each year that would otherwise be refunded in accordance with the taxpayer's bill of rights. Subject to a vote of the people, the bill authorizes the state to retain and spend all additional excess revenues beginning in the 2017-18 fiscal year. The general assembly is required to appropriate the additional retained money first to fund kindergarten pupils as full-day pupils and then to fund the state's share of total program funding. The state treasurer must transfer any amount of remaining additional excess revenues to the state education fund. The director of research of the legislative council must prepare an annual report concerning how the retained excess revenues are expended. The secretary of state is directed to place the question of whether to allow the state to retain excess revenues on the ballot for the 2017 general election. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Votes