Education

Voters to Take Up Spending Limits

June 21, 2005 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

The following offers highlights of the recent legislative sessions. Precollegiate enrollment figures are based on fall 2004 data reported by state officials for public elementary and secondary schools. The figures for precollegiate education spending do not include federal flow-through funds, unless noted.

Colorado

The 2005 legislative session was relatively quiet on the subject of K-12 education, despite tension over changes to the state’s school accountability system between Gov. Bill Owens, a Republican, and the Colorado legislature, which was controlled for the first time in 40 years by Democrats

Gov. Bill Owens

Republican
Senate:
18 Democrats
17 Republicans

House:
35 Democrats
30 Republicans

Enrollment:
766,700

Lawmakers approved a $4.5 billion K-12 budget in fiscal 2006, a 2.6 percent increase over fiscal year 2005.

Legislators also hammered out a compromise on the state’s controversial Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights, a constitutional amendment passed by voters in 1992 that restricts state spending and requires surplus funds to be returned to taxpayers. The bill has often conflicted with Amendment 23, which requires an increase in funding for K-12 education at a rate of 1 percent plus inflation.

Under the compromise, voters will be asked this fall if the state can keep a portion of the surplus to help finance precollegiate education, higher education, health care, and other areas.

Meanwhile, Gov. Owens stood by his promise to veto any legislation that threatened to weaken the school accountability measures he championed in 2000, including his veto of a measure to allow an independent contractor to review and report on the impact of the accountability system every three years.

Mr. Owens vetoed a record-high 47 bills, including several education bills. However, he approved bills that made modifications to educator licensing, provide for kindergarten for 5-year-olds, and encourage school districts to improve their nutrition policies.

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Student Well-Being Webinar
The Ripple Effect: Mental Health & Student Outcomes
Learn how student mental health impacts outcomes—and how to use that data to support your school’s IEP funding strategy.
Content provided by Huddle Up
Artificial Intelligence K-12 Essentials Forum How AI Use Is Expanding in K-12 Schools
Join this free virtual event to explore how AI technology is—and is not—improving K-12 teaching and learning.
Federal Webinar The Trump Budget and Schools: Subscriber Exclusive Quick Hit
EdWeek subscribers, join this 30-minute webinar to find out what the latest federal policy changes mean for K-12 education.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Education Quiz How Is Trump Changing School Discipline Rules? Take This Week’s Quiz
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read
Education Briefly Stated: April 30, 2025
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read
Education Quiz What Is Trump’s New AI Plan for K-12 Schools? Take This Weekly Quiz
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read
Illustration of tasks assisted with AI.
Canva
Education Quiz ICYMI: Moms for Liberty Launched Its Own University And More
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read
Moms for Liberty co-founder Tina Descovich speaks before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at the Moms for Liberty annual convention in Washington, Friday, Aug. 30, 2024.
Moms for Liberty co-founder Tina Descovich speaks before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at the Moms for Liberty annual convention in Washington, Friday, Aug. 30, 2024.
Mark Schiefelbein/AP