Gov. Jared Polis has supported HB 24-1448, the recently passed school-finance reform bill, as a historic step forward in education funding. But the reality? It still fails to address Colorado’s chronic underfunding of schools.

While the bill eliminates the Budget Stabilization Factor, it does not provide adequate funding for districts to meet the state’s own educational goals. Still, it was undoubtedly a step in the right direction. The new formula prioritizes student characteristics to allocate funds more equitably. Specifically, it increases funding weights for students who are at-risk, English Language Learners and those receiving special education services.

School District 51 supported HB 24-1448 under the explicit promise that it would include hold-harmless protections and enrollment averaging. Without these protections, we knew the financial impact would be severe. If D51 was forced to eliminate enrollment averaging today, we would face a $9 million shortfall. Coupled with ongoing declining enrollment, this creates a significant financial challenge for our district.

For the first time in 2024, the Colorado Adequacy Study was state-funded, and what did it find? Colorado is underfunding K-12 education by $4.1 billion, with an average per-student funding gap of $4,600. Colorado ranks 35th in the nation for per-pupil funding, and D51 ranks 174th out of 178 districts.

Rather than following through on his promise, Governor Polis is breaking it and using the elimination of averaging as a “backdoor” Budget Stabilization Factor. Instead of being transparent about his budget priorities, he is cutting school funding through a technical maneuver that achieves the same effect as the old Budget Stabilization Factor – just with a different name.

Fallout of Eliminating Enrollment Averaging

Removing enrollment averaging without a transition plan forces districts into immediate financial turmoil. Schools are expected to suddenly adjust to new funding models without time or resources to make responsible financial decisions.

Polis is now attempting to spin this as fiscal responsibility, claiming he is protecting taxpayer dollars by eliminating funding for so-called “phantom students.” The reality? His approach is neither fair nor well-planned.

The long-standing practice of enrollment averaging has provided funding stability for districts facing fluctuating student populations. Most districts, from liberal urban areas to conservative rural communities, rely on it to maintain financial stability. This isn’t a partisan issue.

As a member of the Executive Board of the Colorado Association of School Boards, the Legislative Resolution Committee and a local school board, I have seen widespread frustration across the state. Instead of working with school leaders to create a transition plan, Polis has pulled the rug out from under us.

If the governor truly wants to be fiscally responsible in the short term, he should eliminate special-interest projects and refocus state priorities on essential governance, including education, safety, security and transportation, not shift the burden onto schools.

The Impact on District 51

If Gov. Polis does not follow through with the way HB24-1448 was intended, the consequences will be devastating for school districts across Colorado. In D51, the impact will be severe. Even a slight change to the averaging formula will create financial instability. If Polis eliminates it entirely, we must brace for a funding crisis that could jeopardize the progress we’ve made over the last four years:

• Increased teacher pay.
• Built financial reserves.
• Improved educational outcomes.

D51 has been fiscally responsible while prioritizing students and teachers.

Colorado Must Reprioritize Its Budget

The state cannot continue shortchanging school districts while funneling money into pet projects that do little to serve students, teachers or communities.

For perspective:

• 2005: The entire Colorado state budget was $6 billion.
• 2025: The budget is now $32 billion, a 433 percent increase.
• Meanwhile, Colorado’s population has only grown by 28 percent.

Compare that to D51’s budget:

• 2005: $112.5 million.
• 2025: $249 million, a 121 percent increase, while the state’s budget has grown four times faster.

The numbers speak for themselves. The state has dramatically increased spending, but education funding has not kept pace.

No More Games – Make a Real Plan

While I agree that funding should not go to phantom students, districts need time to plan. It is disingenuous to suddenly claim fiscal conservatism while the broader budget tells a very different story. If the governor truly wants responsible spending, he should start by cutting wasteful special-interest projects, not balancing the budget on the backs of students and teachers. Education. Safety. Security. Transportation. These are the core priorities Colorado must focus on.

Balancing the budget at the expense of students and teachers is not leadership. It’s a betrayal of Colorado’s future.

Andrea Haitz is president of the Mesa County Valley School District 51 Board of Education.