With all the attention on the federal House and Senate races this election season, itap possible to overlook the innovative education measures being put forward right in our backyard. This November, there are multiple policies on the ballot to improve educational outcomes right here in Denver, which is good news not only for our students but for our local economy as well.
Getting more students to and through college is something we’ve been working on for decades at College Track, and that experience has shown us one clear truth: talented and capable students are everywhere, but the opportunities for them to pursue higher education are not.
With Initiative 300, Denver voters can help bridge that gap and set up far more of our community’s students for success. It is low-risk and low-cost, with potentially high reward for students, families and employers.
Here in Denver, our need for college graduates is particularly acute. It is estimated that in less than two years from now 74 percent of Denver-based jobs will require a credential or degree beyond high school. And yet, less than half of Denver’s adults have a bachelor’s degree or higher. There is a talent gap on the workforce side and an opportunity gap on the education side.
Here is another distressing number: Colorado is currently ranked 47th in the nation for state and local funding for higher education. Thatap right, we are third from the bottom, at the exact time our economy demands a more highly skilled and educated workforce.
Initiative 300 is a way for Denver to step up and invest where the state has not, and accelerate graduating more of our local students from Colorado colleges.
Initiative 300 is titled Prosperity Denver for good reason: we all prosper when more students graduate from college. We particularly benefit when talented local students attend in-state colleges because they are more likely to then remain in Colorado after graduating, building up our much needed professional workforce. And we know public investments made in higher education pay substantial dividends down the road when the graduates start careers, pay their taxes and invest in the communities around them.
The students who will benefit from Initiative 300 will be similar to Fernanda, a junior at Abraham Lincoln High School and part of the College Track Denver program. Higher education wasn’t always an option for Fernanda, but with the academic, financial and social-emotional supports she’s received, and an incredible amount of hard work on her part, she has her sights set on attending the University of Denver to major in computer science. When she does, Fernanda will be the first in her family to attend college.
Initiative 300 will give the opportunities Fernanda has to thousands more Denver residents attending Colorado-accredited public or non-profit two- or four-year institutions of higher education, including universities, technical colleges, and community colleges. Taxpayers can feel confident knowing this legislation is a pay-for-performance model. Funds will be used to reimburse portions of tuition grants and academic support systems made by vetted and effective nonprofit organizations such as College Track who are the experts in serving the community. Only when students successfully advance in their studies do the nonprofits receive this partial reimbursement. It is a common sense program that rewards proven results.
We are passionate about this because College Track has been serving low-income and first-generation students in Colorado for nearly eight years, and nationally for more than 20 years, helping them to not only get into college but to graduate at rates more than double that of their peers. But not every student has access to a College Track type program. This initiative can open doors for many more of them to have the opportunity of higher education.
Investments in higher education benefit everyone, from students such as Fernanda to employers looking to fill open positions to any of us who feel the pressing need for a more stable and sustainable regional economy. Passage of Initiative 300 will be a smart step in making the American Dream a reality for more of the Denver community.
Elissa Salas is CEO of College Track, the national college completion program empowering students from underserved communities to graduate from college. Vanecia Kerr is College Track’s Colorado regional executive director and was appointed by Gov. John Hickenlooper to the Colorado Commission on Higher Education.
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