Colorado enacts laws to boost school funding and expand workforce training access

DENVER — New laws signed Thursday aim to increase funding for Colorado students, update the state’s school finance formula and streamline access to workforce training programs.

Senate Bill 26-023, the School Finance Act, increases per-student funding by $209 and creates a new student-centered formula designed to direct money based on where students are learning. The bill was sponsored by Reps. Meghan Lukens, Emily Sirota, and Sens. Chris Kolker and Barbara Kirkmeyer.

“This new law builds on the years of hard work to fully fund our schools, fund students where they are learning with a new student-centered formula and ensure every Colorado student has access to a high-quality education,” Gov. Jared Polis said. “Students are our future, and this is also an investment in the state’s economy, workforce and future prosperity.”

Polis also signed House Bill 26-1317, the Unified Postsecondary Talent Development System, which creates a centralized system for Coloradans seeking job training, higher education resources and employment opportunities. The bill was sponsored by House Speaker Julie McCluskie, Rep. Rick Taggart and Sens. Jeff Bridges and Lisa Frizell.

The new system is intended to simplify access to workforce programs that were previously spread across seven state departments, more than 20 divisions and 110 workforce initiatives.

“Strengthening our workforce and connecting Coloradans to good jobs starts with simplifying the resources at our fingertips,” Polis said. “This law makes it simpler and easier for Coloradans to get the skills needed to fill in-demand jobs, which is good for workers and our economy.”

A third measure, House Bill 26-1353, changes state social studies assessments. Sponsored by Reps. Kyle Brown, Rick Taggart, and Sens. Judy Amabile and Jeff Bridges, the law is designed to streamline testing while maintaining social studies requirements for students.