Before sending Senate Bill 82 on to appropriations, senators reduced the mandatory planning period from 10 years to six, and gave districts greater flexibility to use the money for teacher retention, rural teacher recruitment and other teacher quality concerns. Senate President Stan Matsunaka, D-Loveland, kept provisions that the money go to local school districts under the School Finance Act and that some of it be used for grants for schools that come up with innovative programs to improve education. Approved by 53 percent of voters in November, Amendment 23 requires the Legislature to fund public schools at the rate of inflation plus 1 percentage point for 10 years, and at the rate of inflation afterward. Matsunaka included class size as one of the concerns school districts should address in their plans to use the money, which will be included in their accreditation plans. Those plans are filed yearly by schools facing academic challenges.
Schools doing well have to file a plan every six years.
Senators also agreed to provide help for schools that wish to apply for the grants. One of the nine members voted against it. Sen. Bruce Cairns, R-Aurora, said the new law requires the Legislature to implement the programs and decide how to spend the money. The Daily Camera. All rights reserved.