The Colorado House of Representatives advanced a crucial school funding bill and a controversial compromise that could send more money to charter schools after a group of Democrats from both chambers threatened to upend the deal as the legislature was running out time to complete its work.
The deal, months in the making but only made public during the final three days of this year’s legislative session, aims to put an end to a two-year debate over whether school districts should share local tax increases with their charter schools.
The compromise became entangled in the larger funding bill after a months-long standoff between the legislature’s two chambers over Senate Bill 61, which would mandate school districts share their tax increases.
The last minute deal, forged by state Rep. Brittany Pettersen, a Lakewood Democrat, gives school districts two options on how to share their local tax increases.
.