Tax amnesty a “miserable failure”

An attempt to raise funds for education through a state tax amnesty has yielded a lot less cash than legislators hoped.

Auditor to consider online schools’ review

A top legislator’s request for an audit of state online education programs is moving ahead.

PERA had good year in 2010

The Public Employees’ Retirement Association had a profitable investing year in 2010 but still is feeling a hangover from the market plunge in 2008.

Might Colorado’s school funding picture change?

Paul Teske is Dean and University of Colorado Distinguished Professor at the School of Public Affairs at the University of Colorado Denver.

(These views represent the personal opinions of the author and may not reflect the position of the University of Colorado Denver or the University of Colorado system).

As we start summer – the real, post-Memorial Day, school is out, summer – it is worth reflecting on the near-term future of education funding in Colorado.

The legislature recently finished its session, which focused mainly upon budget cuts.  Both higher ed and K-12 took cuts, but in the end, these cuts were somewhat less than some feared (higher ed), or less than the original level of cuts (for K-12).  Remarkably, as the session ended, the fact that that cuts could have been worse seems to have been spun as mainly good news.

EdNews recently linked to new U.S. Census data that ranks Colorado’s per pupil K-12 spending (all revenues divided by number of students) as 40^th among the 51 states (including DC).  That 2008-9 data is now two academic years behind  – two years, by the way, full of deeper cuts in Colorado (and some cuts in some other states, too, to be sure).  Consistent with other data on this subject, the Census Bureau shows Colorado spending about $2,000 per pupil below the national average.

I will leave it to others to figure out more precisely what $2,000 per pupil could buy.  It would seem, in a single class of 25 students, even if only two-thirds of funds were spent in the classroom, it would buy $33,000 worth of extra instruction for the students in that single classroom – a para-professional, lots of useful technological aides, or whatever students need most.

READ THE REST OF THIS STORY IN THE BLOG ARCHIVE

Analysis: Sorting out the 2011 session

The 2011 legislative session won’t go down in history as having a significant impact on education policy. But even quiet sessions have consequences.

“Spare change” education bills last to pass

Even a few education bills got caught up in the last-day madness at the 2011 legislature.

Big bills, little debate

Bills with important implications for the future of public higher education breezed through in the 2011 legislature’s last days.

Higher ed performance bill passes

Updated – The higher education performance funding bill is on its way to the governor.

Legislative education calendar May 9-11

This is the legislative schedule of education-related bills and events for May 9-11.

Tight budget bill now law

Gov. John Hickenlooper has signed the 2011-12 budget bill, marking a key step in a contentious and unhappy process that started more than six months ago.