Senate Education [Apr 13, 2026]

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Thank you, Mr. Chair, members of the committee. Thank you for hearing Senate Bill 145. It's about fairness, transparency, and trust. across Colorado voters have approved more than 15 billion in school bond funding over the last decade to improve public school facilities and that's a good thing yet while charter schools serve roughly 15% of our public school students they've received only a fraction of those dollars these are Colorado school students no different no less deserving yet too often we tend to overlook those needs in the process this bill does not mandate outcomes does not require districts to fund any particular project rather it simply ensures that when districts are developing bond proposals they engage in a transparent and inclusive process that considers the needs of all public school students including those attending charter schools. It creates a clear opportunity for charter schools to submit facility needs, ensures those needs are considered and provides voters with a transparent explanation of how decisions were made because ultimately this is not just about process it's about trust when communities come together to invest in public education they deserve a process that's open fair and transparent this bill strengthens that trust and ensures that all public school students are part of the conversation and it gives voters the clarity they deserve when making important decisions about their schools and with that I'll turn it over. Thank you, Mr. Chair and committee, for hearing our bill today. So I've had a lot of people ask me why I'm on this bill, and I want to be clear about what brought me to this bill. It is not about taking sides in the charter school debate. It is about fair process and transparency in how public dollars are spent. Charter schools are public schools, and the students who attend them are public school students. When a school district puts a bond measure before voters, it is asking the entire community, including the families of the charter school students, to approve a significant investment in public education. Those families deserve to know that their children's schools were considered in that process, and voters deserve to understand how decisions were made about those needs and whose needs were included and whose were not. So SB 26-145 does not mandate that districts fund charter school projects. local school boards retain full authority over what goes onto the ballot. What this bill does is establish a consistent, transparent process, one that ensures charter school needs are considered and that the decisions made are clearly communicated to voters. Some districts already do this really well, and this bill asks all districts to do it consistently. This is not about taking sides in the charter school debate It is about making sure that when we ask voters to invest in public education the process that gets us there is fair inclusive and transparent That is something I think we can all agree on, and I ask for an aye vote. Thank you.

Yeah, I might. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I just wanted to also note that we do have several amendments in front of you, and we have been heavily stakeholder-ing this bill, and we believe this gets everybody on the same page on this. Thank you.

Boucher.

Chair Kolker, Vice Chair Marchman, and members of the committee, thank you for the opportunity to testify today. My name is Ricky Boucher, and I am the Executive Director of Salida del Sol Academy Charter School in Greeley. I am here in support of Senate Bill 26145. Our school is a K-8 dual-language charter school in Greeley. Our mission is to provide a supportive and challenging personalized bilingual multicultural education for students from kindergarten through eighth grade. Charter schools like ours are public, free, and open to all students. We're a valuable part of the Colorado public school system and are accountable to our students and families, our authorizer, and our taxpayers. When I took over as executive director of Salida Vosol in 2022, I had over two decades of experience in the traditional public school system. What I quickly learned is that what we experience in Greeley is not really the norm across Colorado. In 2019, our district chose to include charter schools in its bond measure. In 2022, it continued that approach with its mill levy override. Because of those decisions, our students benefited in real tangible ways. We improved school safety, expanded access to technology with one-to-one Chromebook ratio, supported our teachers with competitive salaries and professional development, while making critical facility upgrades to our HVAC roofing and enhancing ADA improvements. But here's the reality. This only happened because our district chose to include us. There was no requirement, no clear process, and no guarantee. In many Colorado communities, charter schools and the students they serve are not included in these decisions at all. And the consequences are significant Charter schools are public schools but unlike district schools we often carry the added burden of paying for our own facilities including mortgages and long-term debt. When we are excluded from local bonds, it means fewer resources going into classrooms, outdated facilities, and fewer opportunities for students. Senate Bill 26-145 matters because it ensures that inclusion is not left to chance or goodwill. The bill creates a clear, transparent process so that all public schools, including charter schools, have a seat at the table when decisions about public investment are made. My experience shows what is possible when charter schools are included. This bill ensures that all students in Colorado, not just some, have the same opportunity. 145 is a bipartisan legislation that strengthens the way facility decisions are made by ensuring that charter schools' needs are considered and clearly communicated. This is about ensuring a fair and transparent process in the local decision-making. Today, I respectfully urge you to support Senate Bill 26-145 and help create a better future for all of Colorado kids. Thank you. Thank you.

Good afternoon, Mr. Chair and committee members. My name is Santiago Lopez, an over 30-year Colorado educator with experience in traditional and public charter schools. The last 20 years have been working with highly impacted students in alternative public charter schools, charter high schools. Currently, I am the superintendent of New America Schools, a network of three alternative public charter high schools located in Aurora, Lakewood, and Thornton. I'm here to testify in support of Senate Bill 26-145. Majority of our students come to us behind in credits due to the barriers they have faced. This oftentimes means that they do not graduate within the four years that society expects, meaning that many of them have been given the high school runaround or have even been forgotten about. Our students, unfortunately, didn't find success in a large comprehensive high school and in a school with a less flexible schedule and found their way to our school, a smaller school setting that can truthfully say we know who our students are, we know their stories, and a place that takes the time to support them where they are, a school that is willing to understand their circumstances and provide the best schedule that fits within their numerous responsibilities. We do this with less than 100% of the per-pupil revenue while also having to pay for all the facility costs. I ask that you support this bill to bring consistency to the way districts approach the bond conversation with all schools. New America has had positive experiences as it relates to bonds because the districts chose to include the charters in the bond conversation and in the allocation of bond monies with a proportionate share to our schools. Picture this. A gym that has two corners falling because the foundation is failing. A floor that is the same tile that is in the hallways just laid on top of a concrete foundation. Not very safe. A few leaks from the roof that are causing tiles to come loose. Because Adams 12 chose to include charters in the 2024 bond, our Thornton campus was able to address these seriously concerning safety and facility issues to complete a proper gym in a more timely manner. Today, our students and community walk into a space that is safe, functional, and designed for physical education and sports. This outcome should not depend on the districts including us or not but involving us in the conversation and sharing our share for our students consistently Our students deserve this much Thank you for giving me the opportunity to testify in support of this bill Thank you.

Good afternoon, my name's Timothy Boncole. I am the Chief External Affairs Officer at KIPP Colorado, a network of tuition-free public charter schools serving 2,500 students across Denver from kinder all the way through 12th grade. And I thank Chair Kolkor and Vice Chair Marchman for allowing me to provide testimony in support of Senate Bill 26-145. I'm here today in support of the bill because the students we serve at KIPP Colorado are public school students. So they deserve the same quality learning environments as any other public school student in Colorado. Right now, when school districts go to voters with bond measures, charter schools are often left out of the conversation because there's no consistent transparent process requiring us to be included. This bill would fix that. Senate Bill 145 would create a fair, structured process for districts seeking bond money. Districts must ask charter schools about their capital needs and give us a real opportunity to respond and explain their decisions publicly. That kind of transparency is good for voters, good for families, and most importantly good for every student. For our students, functioning facilities are not a luxury. They shape the learning environment every single day. Whether it's safe classrooms, science labs, or spaces for arts and athletics, these investments directly impact student outcomes. Our kids are learning in buildings that need investment. This bill would give us a seat at the table. For that reason, I respectfully urge you to vote yes on Senate Bill 145. Thank you.

Chair Koltker, Vice Chair Marchman and members of the committee, Thank you for the opportunity to testify on behalf of Fort Collins Montessori School in support of Senate Bill 26145. My name is Paul Vincent, and I'm the head of school at Fort Collins Montessori School, FCMS. Charter schools are public schools, and our students are public school students. Every public school student deserves to be considered when taxpayers invest in school facilities. At our school, we believe in delivering a high-quality, authentic Montessori education to children ages 3 through 6th grade, supporting them to realize their potential. We do this by practicing the Montessori method, the oldest and widest continually practiced educational pedagogy in the world. Our students come to us from all over northern Colorado, spanning Larimer and Weld counties. Over its 12 years in operation, Fort Collins Montessori School has earned John Irwin Awards Governor's Distinguished Improvement Awards. Despite strong performance, charter schools like ours are not consistently included in facility planning and local bond conversations. As a result, many charter school students do not have the same access to safe modern learning environments as their peers. For the first six years of operation, our school leased space from two churches who were gracious enough to offer their spaces for rent. Leasing spaces from churches brings their own challenges. Twice per week, our teachers had to pack their classrooms up and unpack, So the church could use the space for their purposes. To say that this extra cleaning and moving was an interruption is an understatement, but our teaching team and families persisted. Our program continued to grow, outgrowing both leased locations. As a charter school, our only option to obtain a permanent location and building was to take out bonds and fundraise for capital improvements. This bonding process that charter schools can access is also complicated because bondholders want to have longevity in their investments. Due to the standard five-year chartering term in most Colorado districts, charter schools are forced to take bonds out at higher interest rates compared to districts due to perceived increased risk. The debt necessary to secure a building has major implications on my programming, like other charter schools, oftentimes comes with long periods of interest-only payments and or other difficult terms charter schools must navigate. Today, our building is beautiful and purposely built specifically for our Montessori method, but it comes with a real cost. Approximately 25% of our annual operational budget goes to this debt instead of providing extra opportunities for students and increase compensation for our hardworking and committed staff. If this bill were to become law, it would clarify confusion for voters, allow charter schools an avenue to improve capital needs without forcing them to take on extra debt. Thank you.

I just ask that we vote yes for Senate Bill 145. Thank you.

Good afternoon, Mr. Chair, members of the committee. My name is Dan Schaller, President of the Colorado League of Charter Schools. We are the statewide organization that represents the vast majority of Colorado's 262 public charter schools, serving nearly 16% of our state's public school student population. I'm here today speaking in strong support of Senate Bill 145 and want to thank Senators Kipp and Bright for bringing it forward. At its root, this bill is about fairness and transparency, and I appreciate the courage and independence both bill sponsors have demonstrated in agreeing to support this legislation. As Senator Kipp recently said in some media coverage on the bill, quote, we can treat everybody in a fair manner because we want all our kids to be treated fairly, right? I couldn't agree more with this sentiment, and that's fundamentally at the heart of what Senate Bill 145 is trying to accomplish. This bill represents an important step forward in ensuring all Colorado public school students, regardless of the type of public school they attend, are treated fairly and equitably. Despite being part of Colorado public school landscape for over 30 years and consistently growing during that time to now serve almost 137 students charter schools in Colorado still only receive resources at levels that enable them to spend at about 81 of the typical traditional public school That's that many less dollars that can go into the classroom, that many less dollars that can be spent on future salaries, that many less dollars that can be invested in student success and achievement. Inequities related to facilities are a primary driver of this disparity, and inequities coming from bonds are far and away the biggest contributor to the significant gap charters still face when it comes to facilities. As Senators Bright and Kip already mentioned, over the past decade, districts have benefited from upwards of $15 billion in facility support generated by bonds. At 90% of the total amount of all public dollars going into school capital construction, nothing else even comes close to touching the impact of these vital resources on school facilities needs. And yet over that same 10-year period, charter schools receive but a fraction of these resources. This is despite the fact that charter school students are no less a part of the public school community than their traditional public school peers, and despite the fact that their parents and families are no less contributing taxpayers to these very same bonds. In our view, districts should want these key constituents supporting their bond efforts, and that's what the mechanisms embedded in Senate Bill 145 should help accomplish. By creating a clear and consistent process for involvement, SB 145 is really a bill about good governance. These are the things we should be doing anyway if we truly want our ballot initiatives to be as inclusive and transparent as possible. So thank you for your consideration of this important piece of legislation, and I'm happy to answer any questions as helpful.

Thank you. Thank you. Chair Kolker, Vice Chair Marchman and members of committee, thank you for the opportunity to testify today regarding Senate Bill 26145. My name is Brooke Quisenberry and I am the Senior Research Associate at Momentum Strategy and Research, a Colorado-based nonprofit organization committed to ensuring that all students have access to a quality education. We conduct nationwide research on various K-12 related topics, including charter school access to public funds for their facilities needs. This research includes an annual review and update across all 47 states with charter statutes and documenting state policies across nine subcategories of facility support statutes, along with the associated outcome data. Since 2002, Colorado has been a pioneer in supporting charter school access to facilities funding through local bond elections. Our review of the past 10 years of data shows that while school districts periodically share bond proceeds of charter schools, it's not consistent, ranging from 0 to 7% of a given year's total amount of district bonds, where the average district-authorized charter enrollment was around 10% of the time. Our research shows that bond proceeds account for 95% of total public funding for school facilities in Colorado, including bond proceeds, best grants, and charter school capital construction funding. For that reason, we looked at the 58 bond elections that passed in 40 districts with at least one charter school and its geographic boundaries at the time of the election from 2015 to 2024. Our gathering and analysis of that bond data showed three main things. One, access is not consistent across districts or elections. Charter schools are not included in about a third of the bond elections, and they may be included in one bond election but not the following Two when charter schools are included access is generally not proportionate when looking at enrollment We found that district authorized charter schools received an average of 2 of the bonds that passed while enrolling an average of 10 of public school students at the time the bond passed That percentage equates to district authorized charter schools receiving about $4,500 per pupil on average, while districts received about $16,000 per pupil. And three, readily available information regarding specific projects funded by those bonds also varies from district to district or even election to election. Some bond elections have detailed information provided and is easily discoverable, while other elections have less information or require more digging, sometimes within the same school district from election to election. Other times, detailed project information is not available until well after the election. If passed as written, Senate Bill 26145 would create the most transparent process by which charter schools and districts could collaboratively work through charter school inclusion and bond

Good afternoon, Chair Kolker and members of the committee and the bill sponsors. Thank you so much for the opportunity to testify today. My name is Brittany Sharp and I am a high school math teacher at a charter school serving students in southeast Colorado Springs. I've been teaching here for the last 14 years. I'm here today representing myself in support of Senate Bill 26145. Charter schools like mine are free public schools that are open to all students. As Dan mentioned, There are over 250 charter schools across the state that represent almost 16% of our state's student body. These schools are a valuable option for Colorado families. The impact and growth of charter schools has continued to rise, especially in recent years, and it's important that the needs of these students and the schools that serve them are given equitable access to funding opportunities that can enhance facilities for everyone. The reason I feel so passionately about this is our students and all students across the state of Colorado deserve to be a part of the conversation in how money is distributed across districts and not based on whether the district wants to include them. I'm lucky our school works extremely hard to make sure our finances are set through hours and hours of grant applications like the Colorado Best Grant and meticulous tracking of how those grants are spent, we have been able to finance some of the things that we need. But our high school currently operates out of an old aerospace building and when we first opened our doors in 2013 we only operated out of one small wing of that building. Our first few years we actually shared that space. Until recently, our middle school operated out of two buildings that were also not designed as schools either. Students spent recess in the fenced-in concrete alleyway between those buildings. No playgrounds or basketball hoops, no fields or soccer nets. It's left us with many required renovations to meet the facility needs of our students. Our school has needed to take on several bonds over the years to purchase our middle school high school and build athletic fields but all of this comes with an interest payment on them too but Senate bill 26145 works to provide an opportunity for charter schools an opportunity to have a seat at the table an opportunity for our students needs to be heard It does not force districts but provides transparency and equitable access for all students in Colorado Thank you for your time and consideration, and I hope you vote yes on Senate Bill 145.

It's actually Stewart. Stewart, no T there.

Chair Colker and members of the committee, thank you for the opportunity to speak today. My name is Dr. Amy Stewart. I am a charter school leader in Castle Rock, and I'm testifying today on behalf of myself as both a school leader who has worked in several districts in the state, as well as a parent and a taxpayer. In support of Senate Bill 26-145, I want to start by acknowledging that our school has been really fortunate because our district, as you've heard from others, has chosen to share bond dollars with us. And that made a really meaningful difference. For us, it was especially helpful when it came to student safety and security. We're a 6th through 12th grade school, and as you know, that is an area which student safety becomes very paramount. Recent bond funds allowed us to invest in really important hardening measures and to continuously upgrade our safety and security systems. This work is not optional, and it is ever-evolving. Keeping up with the security systems and the technology required to operate such things is an absolutely essential part of us providing the highest levels of safety and security to our students and staff. And without our district's support, making those upgrades would have required significant sacrifices that directly impact students, such as staffing and instructional needs. And while our building is on the newer side, it hasn't required major repairs. Other schools in our district certainly have. and our students have benefited all of us from our district's willingness to include us. We're very hopeful that this trend will continue in our district as our facilities age, but there is no guarantee. So while we've been fortunate, access to these types of resources should not depend on the goodwill of a particular district or a particular leadership team, especially in areas where resources become scarce, areas of declining enrollment, or particularly aging populations, this could very well shift. And across Colorado, public charter schools are not consistently included in facility planning or bond conversations. That means that public charter schools, though they can and do, cover the cost of those needs in many cases. They must do so by redirecting dollars that could be dedicated to the fundamental purposes of education, teaching, and learning. Even when voters have already approved funding specifically for facility purposes, schools are asked to make those sacrifices disproportionately for charter school students. This bill is about making sure every public school student is part of the conversation when voters invest in school facilities, no matter what type of public school they attend. All students deserve access to safe, well-maintained facilities. And I respectfully urge you to support Senate Bill 26-145. Thank you for your time.

Yeah, I think my green light's already on.

Good afternoon, Chair Kolker and the members of the committee, Senator Kolker and Senator Bridges. It's wonderful to see you again. I was here at the end of last month during Littleton Public Schools morning at the Capitol. My name is Kim Ash, and I am the principal of Littleton Preparatory Charter School. I have had the distinct pleasure of serving Littleton Prep since its inception 27 years ago. I'm here today to speak in support of Senate Bill 145. I would like to begin by saying how proud we are to be a Littleton public school. For nearly three decades, we have worked hard to cultivate the relationship that we have with Littleton public schools. We are not just in the district, we are truly a part of the Littleton community. In recent years, our district has made some intentional strides to include us in bond initiatives, and we feel incredibly lucky to be where we are. However, my support for this bill comes from the belief that equity for public school students in Colorado should not be a matter of luck or a 27-year relationship. But instead, it should be standard practice across the entire state of Colorado. Today, that consistency does not exist. Charter schools serve an average of 15% of students in Colorado, but only receive 6% of total facility funding. Over my longstanding career as a charter school principal, there have been many situations in which I've noticed in education we can fall into the trap of treating charters in traditional schools like Coke and Pepsi, like we're competitors. When in reality, we are colleagues and neighbors. And we are all working towards the exact same goal of educating Colorado's public school children. By creating a unified framework for collaboration, this bill ensures that the needs of all district schools are considered from the initial planning stages, providing taxpayers with much-needed transparency on how their dollars support the entire public education system in Colorado. This shift is essential to addressing inequities as charter schools have received over $1 billion less than their proportionate share of facilities funding over the last decade, a clear sign that access to these vital resources remains inconsistent across districts. I urge you to support this bill that ensures bond money serves all Colorado public school children, regardless of the type of school building that they are in. I thank you very much for your time and your service to Colorado public school children.

Thank you for the opportunity to testify today in support of Senate Bill 26145. My name is Lisa Gonzalez and I'm the Executive Director of Independence Academy Charter School in Grand Junction Colorado Independence Academy is a high K public school serving more than 500 students We are proud of our strong academic outcomes positive school culture and deep community engagement. Our students benefit from hands-on project-based learning and the largest arts program in Grand Junction. But despite these successes, we are operating at significant disadvantage. Unlike our traditional district-run schools, we rely almost entirely on per-pupil funding. We lose three percent of that funding back to the district, and we must also cover all of our facility costs ourselves, currently more than $800,000 each year using the same dollars intended for instruction. District schools can rely on voter-approved bonds to fund buildings and major repairs, and charter schools like ours often cannot. This creates fundamental inequity. Every dollar we spend on facilities is a dollar taken away from teachers, curriculum, and student support. And this is not theoretical. The impact for students is real. More than half of our students are learning in a 15-year-old modular building. With HVAC systems that are currently failing and a roof that needs replacement. These conditions affect our student comfort, their ability to focus, and ultimately their safety every single day. At the same time, when bond measures are proposed, we are asked to encourage our families to support them, and yet we are told that we will not receive any of that funding. Even as a district charter, we are too often excluded from facility planning decisions that directly impact our students. We are doing everything that we can with the resources that we have, and we've proven what's possible. But our students should not have to succeed in spite of their learning environment. They are public school students. They deserve safe, high-quality facilities. And just like any other student in our district, Senate Bill 26-145 is about fairness. is about ensuring that all public students, no matter what school that they attend, have access to safe, supportive learning environments. And I respectfully urge you to support this bill.

three minutes. Good afternoon, Chair Kolker and Vice Chair Marchman, as well as members of the committee. I thank you for your time today as we talk about the support of Senate Bill 26145 and allowing me to share my experiences with bond inclusion in my own district. My name is Amy Tracy and I am the principal at Aurora Academy Charter School. Aurora Academy was the first charter school authorized in Aurora Public Schools 26 years ago. Since opening, the demographics of our school have dramatically changed as have the needs of our students thus requiring more resources to maintain our mission. Three years ago I along with two other charter school leaders were invited to present capital construction proposal to APS's long-range facilities advisory committee as the district prepared a bond measure for voters. We presented our proposals which were well over into the millions of dollars. Several months later, we received identical letters stating the same exact thing Although our projects would not be funded we would receive something that we could put towards aging technology Aging technology was not a part of our proposals. A rationale as to why our projects were denied was not provided. Charter schools in APS roughly serve 15% of APS students while only receiving 1% of bond dollars. Ballot question 5B specifically stated that bond dollars would be used for making repairs and improvements to every school in the district. For our students, that promise did not materialize. To this day, I am unsure of whether or not the board was informed of the outlined needs that we presented. I don't know how those decisions were made or why our proposal was rejected. I do not know whether a charter school representative was involved in that process or even on the committee. That lack of transparency is the core issue and is exactly what SB 145 seeks to resolve. This bipartisan legislation requires districts to provide clear reasons when charter schools are not included and give us the opportunity to respond. Provides voters with greater insight into which schools will actually benefit from that proposed bond program so that they can make better informed decisions when they vote. It also will create a more inclusive and transparent process that benefits students, families, and voters alike. I respectfully urge you to support Senate Bill 26145 as every Colorado public school student deserves to be considered when we invest in school facilities. Thank you.

Yeah.

All right. Thank you, Mr. Chair and members of the committee. And thank you for the opportunity to testify today. My name is Amadou Jang, and I'm here on behalf of Colorado Succeeds, a network of business leaders committed to ensuring that every Colorado student has access to high-quality learning and Colorado businesses have the talent they need to thrive. I'm here today on behalf of Colorado Succeeds in support of Senate Bill 26145, Because at its core, this bill is about students. It's about making sure that every student, no matter what type of public school they attend, has access to safe, modern, and functional spaces that support their learning, their growth, and their future. Facilities are not just buildings. They shape the environment where students learn and where opportunities either expand or get limited. Senate Bill 145 creates a more inclusive and student-centered process by requiring districts to formally solicit capital needs from charter schools. This answers that the needs of all students across all public schools are visible and considered. It strengthens collaboration across the system by ensuring charter schools have representation on long-range planning committees. That means decisions about facilities are made with a more complete picture of where students are and what they need to succeed. It also improves accountability to students and families. Districts must notify schools in writing about whether their proposals are included, and if not, provide clear merit-based reasons and an opportunity to respond. That kind of clarity matters for families who want to understand how decisions affect their children's learning and environment. And finally this bill increases transparency for the public by requiring districts to clearly explain how all projects were evaluated and prioritized in plain language That helps communities see how investments connect back to students and their needs Importantly, this bill does not mandate funding decisions or take away local control. It strengthens the process so that decisions are made with students at the center and full information and with greater transparency. At Colorado Succeeds, we believe that when we center students, we build stronger systems, and when we build stronger systems, we create more opportunities for every learner in Colorado. For all of these reasons, we would respectfully urge for your support for Senate Bill 26145. Thank you.

I think you've done this before. Once or twice, sir. Good afternoon, Chair Kolker and members of the Senate Education Committee. My name is Bree Buenteo, and I'm the Associate Executive Director for Stanford Children Colorado. We stand in strong support of Senate Bill 26-145. At Stanford Children, we believe that every child deserves a safe, modern, and high-quality learning environment, regardless of the type of public school that they attend. In Colorado, nearly 135,000 students attend charter schools, yet the current process for local bond measures often leaves these students and their families in the dark. House, wow, Senate Bill 145 is a critical step toward ensuring that our school funding processes are as inclusive and transparent as our taxpayers deserve. First, this bill ensures that charter school facilities are no longer treated as an afterthought. By requiring charter representation on capital construction committees and mandating a formal process for districts to solicit their charter needs, we are ensuring that every public student's needs are at least on the table. When a district asks voters to approve a bond, those voters deserve to know the needs of all their community students are evaluated fairly. Second, the transparency requirements in this bill are vital for taxpayer trust. By requiring districts to post clear summaries of which projects are selected, and more importantly, the rational for excluding others, we are fostering accountability. Voters shouldn't have to dig through hundreds of pages of meeting minutes to understand if their tax dollars are being distributed equitably. We often see charter schools forced to dip into their operating budgets, funds that are meant for teachers and classroom instruction, to pay for basic roof repairs or HVAC systems because they lack access to bond revenue. While this bill doesn't mandate funding, it mandates a fair process, which is the necessary starting point for equity. This bill isn't about charter versus district. It's about a unified commitment to all public school students. We urge the committee to vote yes on Senate Bill 146, and we would like to thank Senator Bright and Madam Senate President Pro Temp Kipp for carrying this bill, and I'm happy to answer any questions. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. And I just don't know if you guys can help me understand this, but I'm just curious. You know, I heard that you were rejected from bond, being able to be included in the bond. Under this bill, are you seeing any way that a charter school could legally challenge the school board?

I apologize. Can you, I noticed the question was for her and frankly I distracted.

I totally did.

No, it's fair.

The exclusion notice does say, and you were talking about the transparency, give us the reasons why you said no. And my question is, do you see anything in this bill that would allow a charter school to legally take this next step to sue the school board for a denial.

No, Mr. Chair, I think that that was a really good question for Dan Schaller, to be honest with you. But thank you. He was remote. I don't know if he's still around.

It's kind of, for those that don't understand, it's for capital construction for charter schools. Have you been able to apply? Go ahead. Sorry. Yes, we actually have applied two years in a row now. We were granted funds and very thankful for those funds at a total of $140,000. However, that doesn't replace an entire HVAC system, roof, boiler, LED lights, lighting controls at $3.6 million. That wouldn't even buy us fields. That wouldn't add an auditorium. These are all things that we are lacking.

Do you put in for the total amount? Is there a restriction?

No, it's per pupil. It's not a competitive grant, so you put in, and we chose to put that towards our lease at this time of our meeting.

Thank you. I just wanted to clarify. There is an amendment that's going to be offered for the question that I just asked. that does clarify that there will be no legal grounds for a charter school to sue a school board. My concern as a former school board member was why would a school board ever say no if they thought they were going to get sued every time? And so what this amendment does is it says that the board's reason for exclusion that are required to be included in the notification are for informational purposes only, so there could not be a lawsuit. So that was my concern. Thank you.

Hey Thanks Senator Coker We can ask him but I think that the amendment I just discussed answers it But hey, sorry, Mr. Schaller, I forgot to ask you a question.

Did you hear the question?

All right, great. I think we're good. Sorry to bring you back, but thank you so much.

All right. We have two more people signed up to testify. I'm going to call up Matt Cook. And again, one more time, asking for Scott Smith, if Scott Smith is available.

So just for Mr. Cook. Is there anybody else in the room that has signed up to testify but was not called? This is your chance to come up. this will be our last panel. All right, Mr. Cook.

Do we have questions, Mr. Cook? Seeing none, thank you again for coming in. Appreciate it. Again, one more call for people who would like to testify. The testimony phase is closed. To the amendment phase, and we have a number of amendments. Who would like to start us off? Okay. Senator Bright.

As a proper motion, will you please explain L1? Yes.

Do we have any questions about this amendment? Do we have any objections to this amendment? Seeing none, Amendment L001 passes. To the next amendment, Senator Bright.

That's a proper motion. Please explain L2.

Thank you. Is there any questions about this amendment? Any objections to this amendment? Seeing none, amendment two passes. Senator Bright.

Please explain L3.

Thank you. Any questions about L3? Any objections to L3? Seeing none, L3 passes.

Go ahead and explain.

Thank you. Any questions about L-004? Any objections? Seeing none, L-004 is passed.

Then please review L5 for us.

Thank you. Any objections to L-005? Seeing none, L-005 passes. Senator Bright.

Thank you. Any objection to L007? Seeing none, L007 passes. Senator Bright.

Questions, Senator Marchman?

I love that. Any other comments or opposition to L-008?

Great. So no objection to L-008. Seeing none, L-008 passes. Any other amendments? Any amendments from the committee? Seeing none, the amendment phase is closed. wrap up to Senator Kipp.

Thank you, Mr. Chair, members of the committee, for hearing this bill. Thank you to my co-sponsor of the bill for weighing in so relevantly to this topic. I want to thank so much the witnesses for their testimony today. As you can see, they're passionate about their students, about their facilities. And I want to thank the stakeholding process in general. To me, when I see amendments come to bills, it's a sign of lots of discussion that's happening and making sure that everyone's on the same page and that we've recognized all those different viewpoints. And so you've heard today from school leaders, from community members, why this bill is needed. You've heard stories of charter schools serving a significant share of students in their communities, yet having little to no visibility into how bond decisions are made. You've heard about proposals submitted without clear feedback about students whose needs were never fully part of the conversation. You've also heard from school districts being good actors and including charter schools in their bonds. Too often that's not the norm. So let me just reiterate a few key facts. Charter school students are public school students. In many districts, they make up 10, 15, even 20% of enrollments, like as in my home school district, six in Greeley Evans area. Yet they disproportionately small share of bond funding. And more importantly, there's no clear consistent process to ensure that their needs are even considered. This bill addresses that. Nothing more, nothing less. Does not mandate outcomes. Does not require school districts to fund any specific project. What it does is create a more inclusive, transparent process. One that ensures all public school students are part of the conversation and that voters have a clear understanding of how decisions were made. At the end of the day, it's about fairness. It's about transparency. It's about trust. trust trust between school systems and the communities there serve and i thank you for hearing this bill and i urge your support thank you

I'll finish.

I have gotten so much on this bill, but it has made such a – it has had such a change with the seven or eight amendments we just put on today. So I just wanted to go on record as saying thank you for your work. Senator Bright in particular, you always take amendments, and I like that about you. And so I really do appreciate you really engaging in this to get something over the finish line that will hopefully result in some positive results in our districts. So I am going to be a yes vote due to all of the amendments that you guys put on, so I just want to say thank you for that.

I did have the one question because I looked up, as we're getting ready for the lawn bill and appropriations for tomorrow, the charter schools facilities assistance program. and as was stated by testimony question, it's per pupil, so it doesn't sound like a lot of money can go to any one particular school like our BEST program typically does. There's $43 million set to be appropriated in that fund, and it does say it funds on a per pupil basis, which, as we know, doesn't always fund the HVAC systems and everything else, And I think that something that we should look at going forward in the future how that could be adjusted so we can get more direct support Because the fund is there We are required to put money into it Federal money goes into it. Why not make that a little bit more open to a bigger process, I guess is the point. I think Littleton Prep could apply for that too.

Senator Kipp.

So, with that, would you like to make a, who's like to make the motion? Senator Bright.

As amended.

As amended, that's correct.

Aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Yes.

Aye.

Aye.

Aye, and that passes unanimously. Senator Bright, would you like to make a motion?

Any objection to the consent calendar? See you none. You're off to the consent calendar. Congratulations. That concludes our business today in the Senate Education Committee, and we are adjourned.