Colorado Supreme Court issues affirmative ruling on a bill to fix our K-12 property tax system and here is what you need to know

For years, the level of funding for Colorado schools has been largely dependent on property wealth. This is primarily an unintended result of how Colorado’s Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR) amendment, which restricted the amount of revenue the state collected and spent, was implemented. Over time, this has created enormous inequities in the way our state collects and spends money in school districts. However, the Colorado Supreme Court recently issued a decision that will change this.  

Leslie Colwell, VP of Education Initiatives at the Colorado Children’s Campaign, returns to The West Steps to discuss the exciting decision made this past Monday that will allow the legislature to begin correcting this longstanding issue. The passage of HB 1164 and the Supreme Court ruling that the proposed plan to waive TABOR limits is constitutional both will address a key structural problem in our revenue system for public schools. While these changes will take place over time, they will eventually result in $290 million dollars of funding for districts. This monumental decision comes after years of dedicated work and advocacy, and will hopefully lead to more targeted investments in our schools. As this transition takes place, we need you – our advocates – to speak up on behalf of your children, schools, and communities in order to ensure these funds are allocated in a manner that best prioritizes the needs of Colorado’s students. To read more about the recent Supreme Court decision, click here.