March 18, 2026 · Education · 7,883 words · 20 speakers · 75 segments
Mr. Phelan, please take the roll. Senators Bright?
Here.
Frizzell?
Here.
Kip?
Excused.
Rich?
Here.
Snyder?
Excused.
Marchman?
Here.
Mr. Chair?
Here.
We have a quorum, and I know we're waiting for one bill sponsor who is chairing judicial. He said he would come up, but I think we could start. Right, Senator? Okay, Senator Frizzell, you can go ahead and you can just start us off on HB 1191. Go ahead, Senator Frizzell.
Thank you, Mr. Chair and committee members. I'm here today to present House Bill 26-1191 to you for your consideration. As the chair of the Legislative Audit Committee, It is my great pleasure to bring this bill on behalf of the Legislative Audit Committee. This is simply a language cleanup. Really should have been done way back in 2021, but it wasn't, and so here we are five years later. All this does is it makes the examination, the review of state education fund expenditures on capital construction projects discretionary rather than mandatory. I don't know. It's pretty simple. That's what I have. That's what you have. That's it.
Any questions for the bill sponsor? Do we have any testimony? No. No testimony. Do you have any amendments? No. With almost a super motion. Would you like to move your bill? Senator Frizzell.
Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chair and committee members. I move House Bill 26-1191 to the committee of the whole.
That's a proper motion. Ms. Kirshfey, will you take the poll, please? Senators Bright.
Aye.
Frizzell.
Aye.
Kip excused. Rich.
Aye.
Snyder excused. Marchman.
Aye.
Mr. Chair. Aye. This bill passes unanimously. Senator Frizzell.
Thank you.
Thank you. Mike.
I request this bill be on the consent calendar.
Any objection to the consent calendar? Maybe, because I think your co-sponsor would like to say a few words about it then. Please do.
I was pressured into starting early.
This bill will go to the consent calendar. Thank you very much. Sorry about that, Senator Wiseman. Got your steps in. Thank you. Our next bill. Oh, geez. We're going to have to hand over. Senator Frizzella, you want to chair? Who's the ring? That's where we're at right now, why we're missing. Senator Kipp has a bill in transportation and energy. I think Snyder also. I don't know where he is. I mean, I could share my own bill, but that would be bad. Okay. All right. So just to give you a heads up and I think I said this before Senator Marchman and I will present this bill And we have a number of amendments that we still working on So we want to hear the testimony we want to present it get what we have what we going to do to the bill for sure and then we're going to lay it over for action only. Okay. Okay. Here's the panel. Thank you. Okay. 14, okay. Okay, great. You ready? All right. We now will consider Senate Bill 103. Bill sponsors. Who would like to go first? senator marchman thank you madam chair and thank you to all of the witnesses who have come out today i think we've got about 10 to 12 folks who are going to come out to talk today i wanted to talk about deserts so i'm proud to be here with senator colker on this bill I want to borrow a framework from some folks that I've heard of in the past called Faith Bridge. And they are a Denver education justice organization that walks these halls all the time. They talk about three kinds of deserts that Colorado kids are living in. Educational deserts with a lack of equitable access to a quality school or out-of-school supports. Opportunity deserts, no equitable access to college and career readiness, and proficiency deserts, not getting the wellness support, the knowledge, or the skills to demonstrate grade level readiness. These deserts don't wait for an accountability score. They exist now, and under current law, we only deploy the tools to fight them after a school has already been rated as failing. I want to talk to you about a definition in the book called community school. It's a key part of what this bill is. What a community school is, it's a public school that implements all four of the following things. They do an annual asset and needs assessment. So they must engage at least 75% of families, students, and educators in the community. both an assessment of the school and by the community and it not a survey or a suggestion box It a structured community process The second prom is strategic planning with problem teams They're constantly trying to improve continuous school improvement. This defines how educators and partners use all assets to meet specific student needs. The key words, all available assets. This is not a program add-on. It's an integrated asset map. The three thing that community schools must have are an engagement process with community partners. So this is a formal process to bring in partners with assets and experience to implement the school's goals. They're accountable to the school improvement plan. They don't operate independently in the community school model. And the fourth prong is a community school coordinator. They must have a staff member, not a contractor, an outside org, but their primary responsibility is to facilitate the problem-solving teams. So this is a high bar. All four prongs are required. We didn't invent this necessarily, but we have codified it, and that's what I want to explain to you about this bill. This is codified in the innovation statute of the title. So there are two ways that we can use community schools currently by statute. One is through an innovation school. It's the original voluntary pathway. And the second is once you're on an accountability clock. So it authorizes the state review panel to recommend community school conversion for schools that fail to make substantial progress under a turnaround plan. So the model appears only at a crisis stage after five plus years of being on priority improvement or turnaround. So current law allows only priority and improvement folks to be able to access what this pathway does in Senate Bill 103 is it makes sure that by July 1 of 2027, every school has an access policy on file and posted publicly. The policy must use evidence-based comprehensive interventions with the community school model as the name standards. So that's where I'm going to stop. I'm going to let my co-prime talk about the details, and then we've given you some amendments that we will certainly be running once we take action, but not today. Senator Kolker.
Thank you, Madam Chair. To speak, I think, a little less technical, what I've been talking about with this bill is the highlight of the bill is Section 1, the access portion here that we've worked on and heard from stakeholders about. In our school finance formula, we have three categories that we highlight where we fund extra into. One is ELL, one is special ed, IEP, and one is at risk. And the purpose of this bill is to provide a plan for schools on how at risk is being addressed. To have them inform us and their community how they addressing at risk Now we not actually saying tell us the dollar for dollar accountability that you spending What I been telling schools is this is a chance for you to get ahead and tell everybody your successes In Littleton, Cherry Creek, and Jeffco, for instance, those three school districts that I represent, we have three separate programs. We have an innovation campus, an EPIC campus, and Warren Tech and Jeffco, which are designed to get kids more involved in careers, pathways to careers, which we know is an opportunity to address kids who maybe aren't finding their place in schools. giving them a purpose at school beyond the traditional pathway curriculums that we typically think of schools, especially at the secondary level. We know that students need supports not just outside of academics, but they need supports that we talked about, that the senator here has talked about a little bit, that we define in community schools. You know, identifying students at risk, allocating that funding, but where is that wraparound service that we see in community schools? For instance, my wife is a counselor at a middle school in Littleton. In one of the schools, they have what's called the Falcon Closet. This is part of those wraparound services. The Falcon Closet provides new clothes to students who ask for help. They identify students, and they're not doing this publicly, but it's basically a little shopping trip for the students to go into the Falcon Closet and pick brand new clothes and to make them feel more comfortable at school. Maybe they don't have access to new clothing at home. This gives them that opportunity. You know, we underinvest in public education overall, but especially for those students facing poverty and systemic barriers. By making sure that we're providing these wraparound services or making schools think about what they're doing, We can prevent schools from going down that pathway, as Senator Marshman had said, of needing that turnaround. Are they doing everything besides just the academics? Are they doing interventions with students? What are the things that they can think outside the box and knowing that they're addressing at-risk students? So that is the main point of the access. is to let's show how we're supporting, identify how we can support, and put that in part of their, every year we'll have an amendment to put it in part of their improvement plan that they're already doing at every school. Every school does an improvement plan at every school and every school building. Whether they're on a turnaround plan or not, they're still looking, because there are always ways to improve. how can they highlight how they're helping at-risk students in that improvement plan? And that's what we're trying to accomplish with this. Okay, thank you.
I would like to make sure that the record reflects that Senator Kipp has joined us. And she's unfortunately... Well, she fortunately or unfortunately is going to be across the hall much of this afternoon, but is available to be called back. So bill sponsors. Testimony. Or questions, yeah. Yes. Do we have any questions for the bill sponsors? Seeing none. All right. We're going to move to the testimony phase. do you I have your list of panelists and so we're going to go ahead and start a call up the first panel we have Bernice Aguirre which I probably mangled so my apologies Matthew Polito Elizabeth maybe if I put my glasses on alright there we go so both in person Elizabeth Bersiaga, reading for Liliana Velasquez-Daval. Badesha, reading for DPS school board member. And I'm not going to, I'm going to let Mr. Badesha announce who he's reading for. All right. The drill is we have three minutes for your testimony, and you have a little button in front of you. It's really small and gray, so you want to push that to turn the microphone on and watch the light in front of you. It will turn yellow when you have 30 seconds left and red when you are all done with your 33 minutes or with your three minutes. Mr. Bidisha, let's go ahead.
Thank you, Chair. Exciting historical day here, I guess. This is fun to see. Look at that. Good afternoon, Chair and members of the committee. I will be reading the testimony of Sochi Ghatan. She's the president of the Denver Public Schools Board of Education. I speak today in strong support of the ACCESS bill. Denver Public Schools is a district that consistently works to meet students where they are. Our educators are dedicated, our schools are innovative, and we are proud of the programs that we help students succeed. Whether that's expanded access to advanced coursework, personalized learning, or robust support services for students who need extra help. We always work to make sure that our students have the resources that they need to succeed. The Access Bill provides a framework for school districts like ours to act intentionally. It requires districts to identify students who need extra support and direct resources strategically. Our schools have proven that when students receive the support they need, they engage more, achieve more, and graduate prepared for college, career, and life. The ACCESS bill helps make sure that every student in Colorado has the opportunity to reach their full potential. This legislation helps us to continue the work making sure our schools are equipped to meet every student's needs. DPS is already a district committed to equity and excellence and this legislation will help us build on that foundation. By supporting this bill you're helping DPS and other districts across Colorado keep a promise to students, families, and communities across our city. Supporting the ACCESS Act means supporting brighter futures for all students. I urge you all to vote yes of the bill. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Thank you very much. I'd like the records to know this show that Senator Snyder has joined us here this afternoon. Would you like to go ahead, please?
Thank you. Good afternoon, Chair and members of the committee. Thank you for your time. I'm reading this testimony on behalf of Liliana Velasquez-El Valle. My name is Liliana Velasquez Valle I am an early childhood educator mother and proud immigrant I work every day with children who have enormous potential but who face barriers they do not choose Today I want to make it very clear. The access bill is not just an educational proposal. It's a strategic investment in Colorado's future. The evidence is overwhelming. Economist James Heckman, winner of the 2000 Nobel Prize in Economics, has shown that investment in early childhood, especially in risk children, generates the greatest economic return for society. Not doing so, on the other hand, has a higher cost in remedial education and health and even into the justice system. From my experience, this is not theory. It is reality. Every day I see how access or the lack of access to adequate support changes a student and a child's life trajectory. The Access Act recognizes something fundamental. Equity is not about treating everyone equally. It's about responding to the real needs of every student. More importantly, when we support the most vulnerable children, we don't just help those children. We strengthen our schools, our communities, and our economy. And that is resilience in action. As a mother, this is personal. As an educator, this is urgent. And as part of the community, I know it's a necessary decision. I ask you to support SB 26103, not only because this is the right thing to do, but it's the smartest thing we can do as a state. Thank you so much.
Thank you very much. Matthew, would you like to go ahead next?
Good afternoon. My name is Matthew Pulido and I'm a sophomore at Denver North High School. Every student across the state deserves equitable and reliable education, but many schools in Denver and in the state lack basic resources to teach students. We face overcrowded classrooms, a lack of wraparound services. Through personal experience, we face overcrowded classrooms, limited support services, and unequal access to opportunities. Through my own experience, I've seen that these challenges don't affect everyone equally. Overcrowded and under-resourced classrooms are often filled with students of color. Every student deserves equal education, which is why the Access Bill matters. The Access Act requires school districts to create clear plans to support students with the greatest needs and make those plans public so that we can ensure transparency and accountability. I am personally a victim of school closures, specifically the Denver Center for International Studies. The Denver Board of Education voted to restructure West High School and DCIS, which has led to more overcrowded classrooms and students of color being left with the lack of resources to learn. School closures tend to impact communities of color, leaving them with lower levels of education compared to white communities who have the correct resources. Not to mention the fact that victims of school closures may relocate to already segregated public schools or even charter schools. When we invest in public schools, our students' education pays us back equally in student performances. All we want is for Colorado districts to be intentional about where attention and support go and it should be going to our students of greater need. This bill is about making sure the limited funding we already have stays in public schools and reaches the students who need it most. It's about equity, it's about accountability, and it's about giving every student a fair chance. Voting yes on the ACCESS Act means choosing to invest in students and communities and in the future of Colorado. Thank you for your time.
Thank you. Ms. Aguirre. Ms. Aguirre.
and I serve as the interim executive director of Movimiento Poder. Thank you for the opportunity to speak with you today in support of the access bill. At its core, this bill is about something I think we all believe in, which is making sure our education system works for every student. Something that we deeply believe at Movimiento Poder is that every single student deserves access to a high-quality, free, and accessible public education, no matter their background or where they live. I think we all also know that not every student starts from the same place. Some students face challenges like poverty housing instability language barriers or limited access to healthcare and other learning opportunities If we truly believe that every student can succeed then that means our systems must do more to ensure those with the greatest needs receive the support that they deserve. The access bill takes an important step in that direction. It requires school districts to have clear plans in place to support historically underserved students and to direct resources where they are needed the most. Right now, too many districts do not outline how they will serve these students, leaving gaps that can have lifelong consequences. In addition, community schools are at the heart of this bill because we recognize that our students do not exist in silos, and our schools shouldn't either. For too many families, especially in working class communities, communities of color, schools have been asked to do more with less, without the resources to truly meet students' needs. Community schools change that. They bring together educators, families, local organizations to create a hub of support, connecting students to tutoring, mental health care, food access, after school opportunities, all in one place. This bill recognizes that when we invest in the whole child and the whole community, students are more successful. We also understand who is most affected when systems fall short. Historically, underserved students, again, those experiencing poverty, housing instability, language barriers, and other challenges are often the first to fuel the impact of funding cuts, policy shifts, and instability. Instead of reacting after challenges escalate, we should be investing, planning, and implementing needed supports earlier. Research is clear. When we invest in public schools, especially for students with the greatest needs, outcomes improve. The access bill encourages districts to do exactly that. Prioritize support up front so students can succeed and communities can remain strong. SB 26-103 moves us toward a model where resources are directed intentionally to students who have been historically underserved, instead of expecting them to navigate fragmented systems on their own. Ultimately, this bill is about equity. It's about ensuring that the limited resources we have are kept in our public schools and directed to the students who need them the most. The Access Act is not the final step, but it is a critical first step toward a more equitable education system in Colorado. Thank you for your time and consideration, and I urge you to vote yes on the Access Act.
All right. Thank you, and I apologize for mangling your name so badly. I apologize. Committee, do we have any questions for this panel? All right. You did a great job. Thank you so much for your time, and thanks for being here today. the next panel that I'm going to call is in opposition and we have two people on the list in opposition so Sarah Hunt and Nicholas Hernandez and anyone else that would like to come up and speak in opposition Okay, they're both remote. Okay, great. Mr. Hernandez, would you like to go ahead and begin your three minutes?
Happy to do so. Good afternoon, Madam Chair, members of the committee. My name is Nicholas Hernandez, and I am here today as a member of the Board of Directors for the Charter School Institute. We authorize high quality schools across the state of Colorado. And I am proud to say that our schools across the state serve community in a really robust and unique way often and always responding directly to the needs of our communities and providing the wraparound services the additional supports as well as the academic supports and resources that our children and our communities desperately need. Unfortunately, I am here today in opposition of this bill, but want to be very, very clear that with the inclusion of Amendment 005, we no longer would oppose this bill. This would be something that we would change our filing for. And we want to just be brief and thank the sponsors for that consideration and for their willingness to work alongside us and our team and to consider the addition of 005. And with that, I will take any questions, but we'll cede my time back to you all. Thank you.
Thank you very much. Sarah Hunt.
Sarah Hunt, Hello committee, thank you. Good afternoon. Thank you to the chair and members of Senate education for hearing testimony today. My name is Sarah Hunt. I am the president of the charter advocacy coalition and we've represent about 16 public charter schools and 24,000 charter students across the state. We are in opposition to this bill as drafted, but do appreciate the sponsor engagement on the bill and having just received the amendments, Very recently, my comments right now are on the original version of the bill. And our opposition is grounded in the areas of redundancy, local control, and practical burden. First on redundancy, charter schools are already accountable for serving at-risk students through existing structures. Each school's authorizer contract includes detailed plans for interventions, resource allocation, equity measures, and family engagement tailored to the school's mission and student population. Additionally, all charter schools submit UIPs to CDE, outlining data-driven strategies to address priority challenges and improve outcomes for at-risk students. Requiring a separate access policy duplicates efforts without adding meaningful value. Second, on local control, charter schools already exist to provide diverse, flexible education models. By prescribing a policy framework and requiring public posting, Senate Bill 103 risks undermining the very innovation charter schools are designed to deliver. Specialized models like classical Montessori or STEM address equity through unique approaches that this bill may not recognize. And third, on practical burden, schools must draft, board approve, and post new policy. For schools already achieving strong outcomes for at-risk populations, this represents additional administrative work with minimal benefit for students. The Charter Advocacy Coalition members have consistently emphasized that resources should be directed to direct student support, not duplicative paperwork. work. The bill imposes new requirements which interfere with local autonomy, replicate existing efforts, and create potential confusion for families and stakeholders. So again, we oppose this bill as drafted, but appreciate the work of the sponsors and the amendments and look forward to having those ongoing conversations in the process. Thank you. Thank you. And,
And committee, do we have questions for Mr. Hernandez or Ms. Hunt? All right. Seeing none, thank you so very much for your time today. Appreciate you being here. All right. With that, we're going to go for another panel, some in person, some virtual. So in person, we have Michelle Burge. Not here. Okay, great. I'm sorry. Isaiah Sidransky. Okay. And Adam Glasby. And then virtually we have Bill Hemmicker and Angelica Gifler. Do we have the... Okay, fantastic. We'll go ahead and start with our in-person testimony. Isaiah Sidransky, would you like to go ahead and get started? So do you see the little gray button to push to turn the microphone on? And you'll have three minutes. When the little light in front of you turns yellow, that means you have 30 seconds left. And when it turns red, your three minutes are up. Please go ahead. Oh, your mic's not quite on. Here we go.
Hello, my name is Isaiah Sajansky. I'm with the Aurora Community Campus of Aurora. for justice-engaged students who benefit most directly from programs like for programs who are those already attending school regularly and often their parents can't provide recreational transportation and necessary resources. However, programs is even more critical to students who lack access to transportation and resources. For many families who can't afford constant transportation or do not have enough to get their children to school work creates significant barriers to regular attendance. By addressing these requirements, the program helps ensure that all students, especially those financial system challenges that have to be a fairly opportunity to engage of this education. However, I also recognize that on those areas where the school improves students who face challenges and also limited access to transportation resources which can make it difficult for them to attend school regularly I believe it's important for schools to continue finding ways to support all students equally so they can everyone can have a fair opportunity to succeed all right thank you very much mr. mr.
Good afternoon. I am speaking on behalf of Alfonso Napala. I feel that a lot of schools are trying, a lot of schools are just trying to get through the day instead of really seeing the students sitting inside the desks. From the outside, everything might look fine, but inside a lot of us are struggling in ways people don't always notice. It is not just about homework or grades. Some students are trying to figure out how they're going to eat, how they're getting to school, or how they're going to deal with things happening at home that no one else knows about. And when you walk into school carrying all of that, it's hard to focus on anything else. There are students who show up later, don't show up at all. And people assume they just don't care, but a lot of the time, that's not the truth. Some of us are just trying to survive. Some of us are tired before the day even starts. and instead of feeling supported, it can feel like we're just another number, another problem to deal with. For justice-engaged students, it can feel even heavier. Imagine already feeling like you messed up, like people are judging you before you even say a word. Imagine trying to come back and do better, but feeling like no one believes you really can. It like hearing a label that you can take off and when schools feel cold or disconnected it pushes those students further away instead of pulling them back in What hurts the most is that it doesn have to be this way A little more support, a little more understanding, a little more effort to actually care could change everything. More counselors, mentors, and teachers who take the time to listen, not just teach. This could make students feel seen for the first time. Schools should be a place where you feel safe, where you feel like you matter, not just a place where you feel invisible. Because at the end of the day, we're not just students, we're people. And some of us are fighting battles no one else can see. If schools truly showed up for us the way we expected to show up for them, most students wouldn't just pass. They'd feel like they had a reason to keep going. This is why we need the access bill. Thank you very much.
We're going to go to our remote witnesses. Bill Hamaker? You could please unmute yourself. Yes, that's right.
Sorry about that. Go ahead. Okay. Madam Chair and members of the committee, thank you for the opportunity to speak today. My name is Bill Hamaker and I'm a retired educator and proud member of the American Federation of Teachers. AFT Colorado represents thousands of educators, paraprofessionals and school staff across the state. I spent my career in Douglas County teaching elementary band and orchestra for 30 years in the public schools and for another 10 years as a before and after school program. And if there's one thing I learned it's that students don't just walk into our classroom as learners, they walk in carrying everything that happened in their lives. And when we ignore that we fail them and that's why we strongly support House Bill 103. The Access Act simply requires school districts actually prioritize at-risk students and adopt policies that direct resources where they're needed most. It also encourages community school models and wraparound services that and these are approaches that we know work because we've seen them work in real classrooms and real communities. Community schools like the ones I taught in make schools into hubs of support. They connect students and families to tutoring, after-school programs, mental health services, food access, and other wraparound supports all in one place. And so I've seen this approach work and I've seen students who are struggling and they start to thrive not because the curriculum changed but because their basic needs are finally being met and because someone helped their family access resources because they had a safe place to go before and after school and because they felt supported. So that's what community schools do And while this bill does not require a community schools model, it helps to move us in that direction. It helps us move in that direction by requiring districts to prioritize resources for at-risk students and explicitly encouraging these kinds of community-based wraparound strategies. Our public schools are now facing increased pressure from disinvestment, from resource diversion and from policies that pull support away from neighborhood schools. And when that happens, our most vulnerable students, they're the ones that pay the price. And as a retiree, I think a lot about the legacy we're leaving behind. I want the next generation of educators to walk into schools that are equipped not just to teach but to support. I want students to walk into buildings that are centers of opportunity and not just instructions So SB 103 helps make that vision real It says that Colorado is serious about equity It says we willing to invest in what works and it says we not going to give up on our neighborhood public schools I urge you to support this bill. Thank you, and I'm happy to answer any questions.
Thank you. And last we have Dr. Givler-Viers.
I probably mangled that too.
You were really close. So close.
Good afternoon, Chair and members of the committee. My name is Dr. Angel Givler-Veyers. I'm a proud educator and member of the Colorado Springs Education Association. I'm here to testify in support of Senate Bill 103. In my classroom, I saw every day how important at-risk funding is for students who need additional support to succeed. Whether it's extra time, targeted interventions, or simply having the resources to meet students where they are, these dollars make a real difference. This bill helps ensure that those resources are used in a clear and consistent way so they actually reach the students they are intended to support. This is about having transparent policies so educators, families, and communities understand how these funds are being used to support students with the greatest needs. That transparency matters in the classroom. When resources are clearly aligned to students' needs. It allows us to do our jobs more effectively and gives families confidence that schools are prioritizing the right supports. In District 11, we are seeing a middle school and high schools that run programming that are intended for our most at-risk students being closed. Summer school and after-school tutoring is being reduced drastically. Support staff, such as para-educators, counselors, social workers, special education support staff, and others that work directly with at-risk youth are being reassigned or have had their hours reduced. The school that I've worked at for the last eight years educates approximately 500 students every year. About half of these students are military students, and the other half come from the neighborhood. While our students are regularly identified as at-risk according to the state guidelines, we do not see any title funds because the district has their own formula for distributing those funds, which is often unclear or hard to find. After years of asking, I was told that it was based on a percentage. As a large school, we don't qualify, but teachers, counselors, and the nurses have worked to ensure that students and families have access to a community closet that houses clothes, food, personal hygiene items, bedding, books, and gifts for students for holidays when families do not have the means to provide them. We know the needs of our students exceed what is being provided by the district. At this point, it is unclear where these funds are being redirected, but I know that our most at-risk students deserve the funds intended for them. More broadly, it's important that public dollars intended for education stay with public schools and serve all students. In my classroom, I teach every student who walks through the door and policies like this help ensure the resources follow that same principle. For these reasons, we respectfully urge a yes vote on Senate bill 103 today thank you and I'm available for any
questions thank you dr. Gibbler Vires thank you and thank you for your grace committee members do we have any questions for this panel all right really mr. Cedronsky thank you very much for being here today we appreciate your voice mr glasby thank you so much all right we have we can go with one last larger panel okay we going just we going to go for it So Ian Hecker Jeff Reister Lydia Lopez Deza Creel Don Fritz and Judy Solano Is there anyone else here who would like to testify that hasn't been called? Do we have our remote witnesses coming up? They're not. Oh. Yeah. Well, we'll go ahead and keep trying to reach them, but we'll go ahead and get started with our in-person panel. Mr. Reister, good afternoon.
Thank you, Madam Chair, members of the committee. It's a pleasure to be in front of you all. It's, I think, my first time this year. My name is Jeffrey Reister. I'm here on behalf of the Attorney General to speak in support of Senate Bill 103 and for the state's ability to maximize resources for students, particularly those who are most at risk. At its core, this bill is about ensuring that public education funding is used in ways that are transparent, accountable, and aligned with the goal of expanding access to high quality public education for all students. The legislative declaration, Senate Bill 103 raises an important point about how school districts contracting can, in some cases, shift both resources and decision making away from traditional public school structures. We believe this is worth a thoughtful clarification not to limit innovation, but to ensure that public dollars are consistently serving public purposes. As the legislature continues to consider this legislation and broader education policy, we would encourage thoughtful consideration of whether additional guardrails or clarifications are needed to ensure that public education funding is used in ways that are transparent, accountable and aligned with the state's goals for student access and success. Ultimately, this is about ensuring that every dollar is working as effectively as possible to support Colorado students, especially those who rely most on our public education system. Thank you for your time and happy to answer any questions.
Thank you. And, sir, we're going to go with you next.
Good afternoon, Madam Chair, members of the committee. My name is Ian Hecker. I'm the Director of Policy Analysis and Research at the Colorado Education Association. representing nearly 40,000 educators across the state of Colorado. I'm here today to testify in support of this bill. At-risk funding exists for a specific and important purpose, to provide additional supports for students who face barriers to educational success. Community schools do this work very well, and access policies are key to their success. School districts across the state are already working very hard to support these students. This bill helps by ensuring there is clear and consistent policy around how these dollars are intended to be used, strengthening transparency and helping to align resources with the students the funding is designed to support. This bill is not asking for a line by line accounting, simply that districts have clear transparent policies for how at risk funding is used to support students. A policy helps ensure that families and community members can clearly see how these important resources are being prioritized. trust in how schools are supporting students with the greatest needs. CEA also supports the language of the introduced bill around subdivision planning. These provisions ensure that when land or resources are set aside for schools, they are directed toward public schools that are accountable to their communities. I'll end just by emphasizing that CEA believes strongly in the good stewardship of our tax dollars. We support any and all efforts by this body to ensure that public funds remain with public schools and serve all students. For these reasons, we respectfully urge a yes vote today on SB 103. Thank you, and I'm available for any questions.
Thank you, Mr. Hecker. And if you can tell us who you are and go ahead and proceed with your testimony. You have three minutes.
Good afternoon, Madam Chair and members of the committee. Thank you for the opportunity to testify on Senate Bill 103. My name is Deja Creel, and I'm the Policy and Government Affairs Specialist for the Denver Foundation. The Denver Foundation is a community foundation with a 100-year history of serving and collaborating with community members to address current and future challenges. The foundation has supported the legislature's efforts to evolve how the state of Colorado identifies students who are at risk through the passage of House Bill 22-1202. That bill incorporates important factors such as eligibility for school lunch programs and neighborhood socioeconomic statuses based on census data when our state identifies whether a student is at risk. We also supported the work of advocates, education leaders, and lawmakers to modernize the state's approach to public school finance through the passage of House Bill 24-1448, and its intention to help districts have the resources needed to serve students identified as at-risk English language learners and special needs in the ways that they need. Senate Bill 103 is an opportunity to build on the aforementioned policy changes to ensure that school districts are directing resources and supports for students identified as at risk. The framework for this is the development of policy that include evidence-based strategies such as integrated student support and wraparound services, partnerships with community organizations, and engagement approaches that reflect students' cultural and linguistic diversity. For a policy change to be successful in achieving its intended goals, there must be an intentional approach to implement the policy. This bill establishes a framework for equitably in implementing past efforts to prioritize students with the greatest needs helping ensure that they are successful in their academic careers We recognize the stakeholders are considering amendments to address their perspectives on the bill provisions We support those discussions and future discussions to address concerns and preserve the intent of the bill and thank stakeholders for their work. Thank you for the opportunity to testify on Senate Bill 103.
We look forward to continued conversation on this bill. Thank you, Ms. Creel. Committee members, do we have questions for this panel? All right. Were we able to? Okay. All right. So our remote folks. So I'm just, no Lydia Lopez, no Don Fritz, and no Judy Solano. Correct? Okay. All right. Last call. Anyone else who would like to testify on Senate Bill 103? All right. With that, the witness phase is closed.
Yes, Senator Snyder. Madam Chair, I just wanted to say that in case I didn't get a chance later in the hearing.
Thank you. Thank you, Senator. All right. Bill sponsors. Do we have any amendments that you'd like to introduce? Thank you.
Senator Kolker. Thank you, Madam Chair. We're not going to introduce them at this time. We also are still working on a couple of them. We're having maybe a discrepancy in one of the amendments, just making sure we're putting in the right statute, because our intent on this is to make sure that the access is part of the Unified Improvement Plan, but it's also not specifically noted in one part of statute, but in many parts. So we're trying to make sure that we get that completed. And that would be Amendment 4, just to talk about what that is, that intent of Amendment 4 is supposed to be. So that one, still have some work on that. But Amendment 2 just strikes additional in the language. We're not saying that they are to use additional resources. Just use the resources that they have. because if we say additional, it might mean that they're supposed to come up with more resources or we're supposed to give them more resources, which would lead to a fiscal note, just within the resources that they have. One, two, three.
Senator Marchman. Thank you, Madam Chair. And then L003, which we gave to you, So we had originally just called out community school as the only type of intervention and instead we said evidence comprehensive interventions such as or like the community school model So just adding more flexibility for the districts I want to touch on a couple of other amendments we working on We've gotten a request to clarify the degree of flexibility the districts retain, avoiding the prescriptive or duplicative policy requirements. and so that is something we're looking at. We're trying to put this in the district UIPs and so yeah, those are the amendments that we are still oh, I forgot about amendment L005. We haven't talked about that guy. That is the one that takes out all of the subsection and land components of the bill. So we went from like a four section bill to a two section bill. We got rid of sections three and four.
Got a haircut. Brevity is always beautiful. All right. But. Senator.
Senator Bright. Thank you, Madam Chair. Just a question in reference to L-005. Since that portion is removed from the bill, would you also consider removing item E from the ledge deck? Senator Margeman.
Yes, we noticed that too. All right.
Thank you. It's about the, I haven't, I didn't look, but I'm assuming it's the Metro District, that conversation, yeah. I hate ledges. Senator Colker.
And part of the, a bill for an act, it says concerning public schools, and then part of that would be scratched from the title too, which is in 05 now. Any further questions on these amendments?
Any further comment on the amendments, Bill Sponsors? Okay.
Senator Kolker. Thank you. Thank you for your understanding. We wanted to get this bill at least started in the process. It has been introduced. There's been a lot of reiterations, a lot of work going on behind the scenes. But what's important with this, you know, is hearing from the students that we've heard from either in person or via written testimony spoken by other people, what the need is. And making sure that students are being seen, making sure that they're being heard, just writing, quoting what was said, feeling safe, listened to, and feel that they matter. there's more to a student just than just the body inside of a desk we have lots of different ways that we can address students who are at risk students that are justice engaged students and it too many too numerous for us to even detail here our ways to do that That's why we're leaving that flexibility up to the districts to identify, to point out to their communities what they're doing and what needs to be done. done. I mean, part of it is soul searching. What are we doing for these kids? And what are the wraparound services that are greater than just the academics? And thinking of the student as the whole person. So we're going to continue to work on this and hopefully be able to bring back something a little bit more details the next time we hear this.
Senator Marchman. Thank you, Madam Chair. And I just want to also thank the committee. I think it's really important that we work on policy. We don't move policy through before it's baked. and we are still baking this. And so I'm just going to acknowledge that it is really good of you guys to listen to our witnesses, to hear the testimony, and then give us the courtesy of getting this right before you vote on it. I just want to say that, you know, Aurora's Crawford Elementary didn't wait for a turnaround rating. They went ahead and built a community school and they've done it for 10 years. and in 2024, the state went out to look at it to see how they did it. DPS's community hubs assisted nearly 4,500 families last year. It's called a national model. That didn't happen because an accountability clock mandate forced it. It happened because someone decided to plan proactively for whole children in whole communities. SB 103 says that shouldn't be exceptional. It should be the floor. Every school in Colorado should have a written, public, evidence-based plan for students living in education deserts, opportunity deserts, and proficiency deserts, not after the accountability clock runs out, but before it starts. I'm proud to carry this with Senator Colker. Thank you for hearing our bill today.
Thank you. And with that, bill sponsors. Over until April 1st, please. All right. Thank you. With that, bill sponsors and committee, we will be laying over Senate Bill 103 until April 1st. All right. And so we will look forward to seeing you then. And with that, the education committee is adjourned. Thank you.