How Will Charter Schools Fare in the Upcoming Legislative Session?

Charter school founder and Senator-elect, Keith King, recently expressed his thoughts on charter school issues that will come before the General Assembly this year:

The Colorado Charter School Institute has begun to expand meaningful opportunities for quality charter schools in the state and one of their challenges is a way to finance Institute charter school facilities. I will be introducing a new concept for the Institute charter schools to pool one percent of their PPR to a common goal of accessing the BEST program or imitating new bonding for the schools that need facilities. This concept will allow the Institute to continue to expand quality charter school options in the state.

Senator-elect King is a founder of Cheyenne Mountain Charter Academy, James Irwin Charter Schools and Colorado Springs Early Colleges. He served eight years in the House of Representatives and repeatedly carried or championed charter school legislation and the School Finance Act bill. Sen.-elect King will be sitting on the Senate Education Committee this term.

Other issues that are likely to affect charter schools in this year's legislative session include a requirement for school districts to equitably share mill levy override and bond funds with their charter schools and some clean-up legislation for the Charter School Institute Act.

Anyone interested in monitoring legislation this year should bookmark the General Assembly's website and watch the House and Senate calendars and read newly introduced legislation. Also the League of Charter Schools provides legislative updates.