Dear CASE members,

As you know, Colorado is in a budget crisis due to dramatically reduced state revenue caused by COVID-19. Lawmakers face a funding shortfall of roughly $3.3 billion for the next fiscal year, which comprises about 25% of the state General Fund.

Although Governor Polis and legislative leadership announced earlier this week that K-12 will receive $510 million in federal CARES Act funds, that is one-time money that must be spent by December 30, 2020, on expenses directly related to COVID-19. Our public schools are still going to experience painful budget cuts that will have devastating impacts on students, staff and local communities, unless the Legislature takes action.

There is an option that could help. The state Constitution allows lawmakers to pass a temporary emergency tax with two-thirds majority support from the House and Senate. By restructuring personal income tax brackets, we could help avoid the most catastrophic funding cuts while also reducing some of the economic pressure currently impacting low- and middle-income residents, who need relief the most.

CASE and CASB have worked together to create two letters to the editor urging the Legislature to approve this emergency tax, and we’re asking you to choose one to send to your local newspaper.

• The first letter is from me and CASB Executive Director Cheri Wrench, and all you have to do is send it along as is to your local paper and ask them to publish it.
• The second letter is one that you can customize so that it comes directly from you. We’ve provided the framework and prompts for the information you need to add, which should only take a few minutes. If you are able to spare the time to do this, we encourage you to do so, as a personal approach like this one is always the most powerful. This CASB planning template and talking points document may help you customize some of the information.

Please know that CASE is in constant contact with the Governor’s office, lawmakers and CDE and are doing everything possible to fight for K-12 funding. Your help with the push to generate new state revenue would be greatly appreciated, and I appreciate your willingness to get involved.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at [email protected]. Thank you for everything you are doing to support your students and staff.

Sincerely,

Bret Miles

CASE Executive Director