Press Release (May 10, 2017)
The House gave final approval this morning to the School Finance Act sponsored by Rep. Brittany Pettersen, D-Lakewood, which appropriates state funds to Colorado’s K-12 schools and related programs.
“We can be very proud that we were able to come to a solution that will bring more funding to our classrooms,” said Rep. Pettersen, chair of the House Education Committee. “When we started this session, we were looking at drastic cuts to schools, but I’m very proud that through bipartisan work we were able to preserve funding for Colorado students. We still have a lot of work to ensure that every kid in Colorado has the opportunity to succeed.”
In a budget year that many thought would lead to cuts for K-12 classrooms, SB17-296 raises per pupil funding by $242 to a statewide average of $7,662. The bill also holds the negative factor at the 2016-17 level of $828.3 million.
The 52-13 vote sends the bill to the governor’s desk.