News Release
State Board of Education advances $29 million budget proposal to legislature
Board approves computer science teacher grant funding
DENVER – The State Board of Education at its regular monthly meeting advanced a proposal to the legislature to reduce the 2021-22 budget for education programs and CDE operations by $29 million. The proposed reductions meet the request for state agencies to identify a 10% reduction in their budgets in response to the economic decline during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The proposed reductions were designed to minimize impact on literacy programs, prioritize support for struggling schools and protect the state’s most vulnerable students.
The proposal continues reductions made by the legislature in the 2020-21 budget to the Computer Science Courses Grant Program, School Counselor Corp Grant and the Local School Food Purchasing Grant.
In addition, the proposal would trim the BEST Cash Grant program by $8,952,444, and reduce capital for charter schools by $3,182,076. The proposal also would save $1,014,000 by suspending social studies assessments that are typically given on a sampling basis to fourth and seventh graders. The proposal also reduces $500,000 from the Concurrent Enrollment Expansion Program and a $2 million reduction in the Career Development Incentives grant.
The proposal includes a $885,000 reduction in CDE operations and $972,000 in personnel. A full list of the proposed reductions is available on the website.
Computer science grants for teacher training approved
In other action, the board approved the $335,000 in Computer Science Teacher Education Grants for the 2020-21 school year, including training provided through districts and coordinated by CDE. The grants are designed to expand teachers’ capacity to provide instruction in computer science.
Board supports governor’s budget request for Imagination Library
The board voted to support Gov. Jared Polis’ budget request of $410,000 to establish the Colorado Imagination Library program. Colorado has 26 local communities participating in the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, a voluntary program that provides an age-appropriate book every month to participating children ages 0 to 5. | 