HB 17-1271

House Bill 17-1271, which has been signed into law, changes how Colorado's state board of education reviews and approves innovation plans for school districts. Instead of only ensuring that these plans won't decrease academic achievement or become financially unfeasible, the new standard requires the board to approve plans if they are likely to improve educational quality and opportunities while also being fiscally sound. This affects all school districts in Colorado looking to implement innovative changes. Since it has been signed, this bill is now law and impacts how future innovation plans will be evaluated and approved by the state board of education.

Official Summary

Under existing law, when a school district submits an innovation plan for a school or multiple schools of the school district, the state board of education (state board) must approve the plan and designate the school district as a district of innovation unless the plan is likely to decrease academic achievement or is not fiscally feasible. Once the plan is approved, the state board must grant any statutory waivers requested in the plan. The bill changes the standard for approving an innovation plan. The state board must approve an innovation plan if it finds that the plan is likely to enhance educational opportunity and quality within the school district, which is similar to the standard for approving statutory waivers under other circumstances, and the plan is fiscally feasible. Later, if the district of innovation seeks additional statutory waivers under the innovation plan, the state board must grant the waivers if it finds that the waivers are likely to enhance educational opportunity and quality within the school district and are fiscally feasible. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

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