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New state school-finance bill changes timing and fixes charter funding method, Adams 12 officials say
Summary
CFO Gina Lanier briefed the board on SB1320, explaining a one-year extension of phase-in, a 15% implementation step and a temporary workaround to preserve historical charter funding methods for 2025–26. The state created a new "kids matter" subaccount that could deposit an estimated $233.7 million if appropriated.
Adams 12 Five Star Schools finance staff told the board on May 7 that a recently passed state school-finance bill (SB1320) changes the phase-in timeline for a new funding formula and that an amendment preserves the district’s existing approach for funding charter schools for the coming year.
Gina Lanier, chief financial officer, said the major technical changes in SB1320 move full implementation of the new formula back one year and adopt a phased-in approach that begins with 15 percent of the formula in 2026–27. If the state lacks sufficient revenue in any year, Lanier said the law contains fallback smoothing provisions that would use a longer averaging method and a work group to recommend adjustments.
Nut graf: The update matters because the new formula and its implementation schedule determine how much state revenue Adams 12 can expect over the next several budget years and directly affect planning for staff, programs and charter-school allocations.
Lanier said the board and district staff identified a statutory mismatch affecting charter funding calculations; an amendment requires the state to calculate both the prior method and the new formula for 2026–27 and allocate the 15 percent of new monies on a per-pupil basis to charter and CSI (Colorado School of Innovation) schools for that year. The district said a stakeholder work group will recommend how to handle future years beyond the one-year fix.
The bill also created a state education subaccount the transcript calls the "kids matter" account. Lanier said the technical deposit would be a very small tax-rate addition (0.000...9 in ordinary math) but the estimated deposit for fiscal year 2026–27 would be about $233.7 million if the legislature appropriates it. "This is coming off the top of the general fund," Lanier said; the dollars would be available only if the General Assembly specifically appropriates them for total program and authorized categorical funding.
Board members asked for follow-up modeling and budget implications for the district. Lanier said the most recent modeling produced several million dollars of improved outlook compared with earlier assumptions, but she cautioned the numbers had shifted repeatedly during the legislative process and vowed to return with a formal budget update at the next meeting.
Ending: The board acknowledged the complexity and asked staff to continue refining district revenue projections and to return with specific budget scenarios for 2026–27.
