DENVER—State officials say Colorado will get an estimated $1 billion in school funding from the federal stimulus package as well a chance to compete for another $400 million or more to pay for school reforms.
But they told state lawmakers Wednesday it’s not clear yet how much of the money will be spent to prevent school funding cuts this year.
About $615 million of the $1 billion in stimulus help is supposed to be used to prevent school budget cuts. Any money left over after that could be used to reverse cuts at state colleges and universities, Matt Gianneschi, Gov. Bill Ritter’s senior education policy analyst, told the Senate Education Committee.
He said most of the $615 million would arrive in the state within the next two months, close to the end of the school year, and will be distributed by the governor’s office. Because of the timing, some school districts have said they may wait until summer or the next school year to spend the money, Gianneschi told lawmakers.
Jane Urschel, associate executive director of the Colorado Association of School Boards, said school districts are worried about when they’ll get the money and where they’ll have to cut their budgets if they don’t get it in time.
“The policy says we’re going to send you money but the check is not in the mail,” she said.
Some school districts have been considering laying off teachers or switching to a four-day week, but Urschel thinks they should be able to avoid such big cuts until next year. This year she said they may instead end up cutting things like office staffers and summer school programs.
Colorado still isn’t sure exactly how much money it will get because many of the amounts are based on formulas. They take population and specific demographics into account, and the numbers that will be plugged into the formulas must still be confirmed. The numbers Gianneschi offered were estimates from the Council of State Governments. Last week, U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet estimated that the total school dollars in the stimulus for Colorado would be about $900 million.
Besides money to stop budget cuts, Colorado school districts will get an estimated $290 million more for existing programs aimed at low-income students, homeless students, special education and increasing the use of technology in schools.
In addition to the regular stimulus aid, Colorado can also compete with other states for part of $4.4 billion set aside in the stimulus package to implement education reforms. Gianneschi said eight to 12 states could end up winning a minimum of about $400 million each.
Lawmakers and education officials are already brainstorming about proposals that could help win money from the “Race to the Top” program and what lawmakers can do to increase Colorado’s chances before they adjourn May 6. Lt. Gov. Barbara O’Brien, who is leading the effort, told lawmakers federal officials may not give more details about what kinds of initiatives they’re interested in funding until at least mid-April.
Lawmakers are looking at using the upcoming school finance act, which lays out how schools are funded, to incorporate some possible changes in the hopes they might help win more money.
Education commissioner Dwight Jones said one proposal already moving through the Legislature, which would track teacher and principal performance, could help. The aim of the measure (House Bill 1065) is to find out which teachers are most effective in boosting student achievement and track whether enough of those teachers are working with at-risk students.
It has gotten bogged down because of a dispute over whether the information could be used to punish educators whose students don’t perform well.
