Colorado Senate Bill 23
Session 2026A
School Finance Act
Active
Passed House on May 12, 2026
Sponsors
4 Sponsors
B. Kirkmeyer
C. Kolker
M. Lukens
E. Sirota
First Action
Jan 14, 2026
Latest Action
May 19, 2026
Origin Chamber
Senate
Type
Bill
Bill Number
23
State
Colorado
Session
2026A
B. Kirkmeyer
grade
Sponsor
C. Kolker
grade
Sponsor
E. Sirota
grade
Sponsor
M. Lukens
grade
Sponsor
A. Boesenecker
Cosponsor
A. Paschal
Cosponsor
B. Marshall
Cosponsor
C. Clifford
Cosponsor
C. Kipp
Cosponsor
C. Simpson
Cosponsor
D. Roberts
Cosponsor
E. Hamrick
Cosponsor
G. Rydin
Cosponsor
I. Jodeh
Cosponsor
J. Amabile
Cosponsor
J. Bacon
Cosponsor
J. Bridges
Cosponsor
J. Carson
Cosponsor
J. Coleman
Cosponsor
J. Gonzales
Cosponsor
J. Jackson
Cosponsor
J. Marchman
Cosponsor
J. McCluskie
Cosponsor
J. Phillips
Cosponsor
K. Brown
Cosponsor
K. McCormick
Cosponsor
K. Mullica
Cosponsor
K. Nguyen
Cosponsor
K. Stewart
Cosponsor
K. Wallace
Cosponsor
L. Cutter
Cosponsor
L. Daugherty
Cosponsor
L. Frizell
Cosponsor
L. García
Cosponsor
L. Gilchrist
Cosponsor
L. Goldstein
Cosponsor
L. Liston
Cosponsor
L. Smith
Cosponsor
M. Ball
Cosponsor
M. Catlin
Cosponsor
M. Duran
Cosponsor
M. Froelich
Cosponsor
M. Lindsay
Cosponsor
M. Rutinel
Cosponsor
M. Snyder
Cosponsor
M. Weissman
Cosponsor
N. Ricks
Cosponsor
R. English
Cosponsor
R. Gonzalez
Cosponsor
R. Pelton
Cosponsor
R. Stewart
Cosponsor
R. Taggart
Cosponsor
S. Bright
Cosponsor
S. Camacho
Cosponsor
T. Exum
Cosponsor
T. Mauro
Cosponsor
T. Story
Cosponsor
Y. Zokaie
Cosponsor
Summary
The act:Increases the statewide base per pupil funding for the 2026-27 budget year by $208.60 to account for inflation;Sets a new statewide base per pupil funding amount for the 2026-27 budget year at $8,900.40; andSets the total program funding for the 2026-27 budget year at $10,178,856,871. Under current law, there are 2 total program formulas that are used to determine a school district's total program, commonly referred to as the old formula and the new formula. A school district's funded pupil count is a figure that is used as a part of determining a school district's total program. Under the new formula, for the 2026-27 budget year and each budget year thereafter, a school district's funded pupil count is calculated by determining the greater of the school district's pupil enrollment for the applicable budget year or the average of the district's pupil enrollment for the applicable budget year and the immediately preceding 2 budget years. However, the act requires that when specified conditions are met, a school district's funded pupil count is the school district's online pupil enrollment for the budget year, plus the school district's supplemental kindergarten enrollment for the budget year, plus the school district's extended high school pupil enrollment for the budget year, plus the greater of:The school district's pupil enrollment for the budget year;An amount equal to 50% of the school district's pupil enrollment for the budget year, plus an amount equal to 30% of the school district's pupil enrollment for the preceding budget year, plus an amount equal to 20% of the school district's pupil enrollment for the budget year that is 2 years preceding the budget year; orAn amount equal to 97% of the school district's pupil enrollment for the preceding budget year. A school district's cost of living factor is a figure that is used as a part of determining a school district's total program. Under the old formula and the new formula, the act requires the cost of living factor that was used for the 2025-26 budget year to apply in the 2026-27 budget year. Under current law, for the 2026-27 budget year, a district's total program is the greater of:The district's total program amount for the 2024-25 budget year; orThe amount calculated for the 2025-26 budget year under the old formula plus an amount equal to 30% of the difference between the amounts calculated between the old formula and the new formula. The act clarifies that for the 2026-27 budget year, if the calculation under the new formula is less than the calculation under the old formula, then that district's total program for the 2025-26 budget year is the greater of:The district's total program amount for the 2024-25 budget year under the old formula; orThe amount calculated for the 2026-27 budget year under the old formula. The act permits a school transformation grant recipient that is implementing a priority improvement or turnaround plan to use the grant award to plan for and implement rigorous redesign strategies. The act changes the provisions that determine the amounts of total program that school districts and the state charter school institute distribute to their charter schools. Related to the changes of these provisions, the act repeals at-risk supplemental aid for charter schools. The act exempts from a future repeal the general assembly's legislative declaration that using state education fund money for maintaining a website that explains major categories in the chart of accounts for local education providers is a permissible use of state education fund money. The act repeals the scheduled repeal of, resulting in a continuation of, a statute that authorizes contingency reserve fund payments to be used for rural or small rural school districts if an unusual financial burden would be caused by the withholding of local property taxes due to a delay in filing the audit report due to extraordinary problems that could not have been reasonably foreseen or prevented by the rural or small rural school district. The act adds an assistant superintendent, a vice principal, and an assistant principal to the list of eligible school employees who may receive a salary without a reduction in public employees' retirement association (PERA) benefits if the service retiree meets specified conditions. The act permits a local education provider to request that the department of education approve the local education provider's use of pencil and paper to complete any or every portion of a state assessment for grades 3 or 4 and requires that the local education provider be responsible for costs owed to the vendor that are associated with the administration of the assessment using pencil and paper. The act authorizes the state board of education to adopt rules that are necessary to determine the district of residence of a child with a disability for a circumstance that is not described under law. The act repeals the requirement that $500,000 be distributed to administrative units that enroll children with disabilities and instead requires that $1 million be distributed to fund reimbursements for administrative units that pay tuition or education expenses that ensure a free appropriate public education for a student in out-of-home placement who has an individualized education program. The act requires the department of education to engage stakeholders concerning public placements in facility schools and on the issue of whether to make recommendations concerning such placements to the state board of education regarding rules or to the general assembly regarding statutes. Under current law, each participating school food authority that satisfies certain requirements is eligible to receive a local food purchasing grant and an amount to increase wages or stipends for individuals employed to prepare and serve school meals. The act clarifies that a charter school that operates under a participating school food authority is eligible for the awards. The act:Prohibits a board of cooperative services (BOCES) from acting as a statewide authorizer of programs or schools; andLimits a BOCES to operating a school or program outside the geographic boundaries of its school district members, unless specified conditions are satisfied. The act permits a local education provider to offer one or more part-time programs for homeschool students if specified conditions are satisfied. The act requires an authorizer contracting with an education management provider to maintain appropriate independence from, and oversight of, the education management provider. The act prohibits a school district from creating a contract school that is a full-time complete educational program offered exclusively by a private entity pursuant to a contract with the public entity. The act appropriates:$3,755,558 to the department of education from the state education fund for the state share of districts' total program;$313,395 to the department of education from the state education fund for management and administration for information technology services and for use by school district operations for administration related to public school finance; and$3,385,203 to the department of education from the state education fund for school district operations for costs associated with holding charter schools harmless for changes in the distribution of total program funding. The act adjusts the 2026-27 long bill by decreasing:$8,502,195 from the appropriation from the state education fund to the department of education for the state share of districts' total program funding; and$3,504,995 from the appropriation from the state education fund to the department of education for use by school district operations for at-risk supplemental aid.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Committee Report for Appropriations on 05/11/2026
Committee Report for Education on 04/30/2026
Committee Report for Appropriations on 04/24/2026
Committee Report for Education on 04/20/2026
Sort by most recent
05/19/2026
Office of the Governor
Sent to the Governor
05/12/2026
House
House Third Reading Passed - No Amendments
05/19/2026
House
Signed by the Speaker of the House
05/19/2026
Senate
Signed by the President of the Senate
05/13/2026
Senate
Senate Considered House Amendments - Result was to Concur - Repass
05/12/2026
House
House Third Reading Passed with Amendments - Floor
05/11/2026
House
House Second Reading Special Order - Passed with Amendments - Committee, Floor
05/11/2026
House
House Committee on Appropriations Refer Amended to House Committee of the Whole
04/30/2026
House
House Committee on Education Refer Unamended to Appropriations
04/29/2026
House
Introduced In House - Assigned to Education
04/29/2026
Senate
Senate Third Reading Passed - No Amendments
04/28/2026
Senate
Senate Second Reading Passed with Amendments - Committee, Floor
04/24/2026
Senate
Senate Committee on Appropriations Refer Amended to Senate Committee of the Whole
04/20/2026
Senate
Senate Committee on Education Refer Amended to Appropriations
01/14/2026
Senate
Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Education
Sources
CO Legislature
Open States
Record Created
Jan 15, 2026 12:49:07 AM
Record Updated
May 22, 2026 10:13:29 AM