School Finance Act Amended to Cut Charter School Budgets

Rep. Debbie Benefield (D-Arvada) amended the School Finance Act bill, HB 1388, last Thursday to adjust charter school funding based on the number of at-risk students enrolled. In this new plan, 106 charter schools would get their funding cut, while 35 charters would realize an increase. Of the 106 charter schools that would get budget cuts, 17 would have cuts in the six figures. James Irwin Charter School would be cut $468,622; COVA cut $450,725 and Frontier Academy in Greeley cut $399,961.

According to the Gazette:
"There's a lot of hostility toward charter schools in the state of Colorado," said Keith King, a former House minority leader who is administrator of Colorado Springs Early Colleges charter school.

Colorado Springs Gazette coverage: http://www.gazette.com/articles/schools_35197___article.html/charter_school.html