Making Big Waves:
Want to affect real, state-wide changes for our schools? If you liked not having to pack a lunch after two years of free during Covid and want free lunch to continue, if you have concerns about retaining teachers, or how to be an advocate for our school district, this is the pace for you!
New Legislative session, January 2023:
A new legislative session has just begun for the Colorado General Assembly and there are only a handful of bills that pertain to preschool and K-12.
These bills cover a wide range of topics including mental health professionals in schools, to charter school applications and substance abuse. To read up on the all the bills on the docket, follow this link and choose the subject: Education & School Finance (Pre & K-12) on the menu.
These bills cover a wide range of topics including mental health professionals in schools, to charter school applications and substance abuse. To read up on the all the bills on the docket, follow this link and choose the subject: Education & School Finance (Pre & K-12) on the menu.
Nov. 8th Election :
Proposed Changes to Social Studies Standards
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Great Education Colorado is asking that parents and educators be aware of proposed changes to state social studies standards. You can read up on the proposed changes and if you so desire, send a letter to the State Board of Education. Visit Great Education Colorado by clicking the imae to the right.
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Current Ballot Initiatives:
- Proposition 121: State Income Tax Reduction
- Proposition 121 reduces the state income tax rate from 4.55% to 4.40%. in 2022-23 this measure would reduce state General Fund revenue by an estimated $638 million.
- Colorado PTA believes that every child must have access to a well-rounded, high -quality free public education, to ensure that they have the opportunity to reach their full potential. Public education must be supported through sustainable and adequate funding. Therefore, we oppose and reduction in funds that go into the state General Funds - which proposition 121 would do. Colorado already significantly underfunds our public schools, and a reduction in tax revenue would make it worse.
- Proposition 123: Dedicated Revenue for Affordable Housing Programs:
- Proposition 123 takes 1/10thof 1% of taxable revenue in Colorado and exempts it from the TABOR revenue limit requiring the money to allocated in specific ways related to affordable housing.
- Colorado PTA believes that all children residing in the United States have the right to shelter. Funding affordable housing will help ensure that our children and youth have access to shelter. Further, increasing access to housing encourages diversity in our neighborhoods and schools, benefitting all students. Finally, having more affordable housing will enable teachers to live in the school communities they wish to work in.
- Proposition FF: Healthy School Meals for All
- Proposition FF created the Healthy School Meals for All program. The program would make school meals free for all public school student regardless of family income starting next school year. In 2024-25, the program would also provide grant funding to purchase local products, increase wages for employees, and provide training, equipment, and technical assistance.
- Proper nutrition is imperative to the health, development, and academic achievement of children, and students receive a significant portion of their daily nutritional needs from school meals. PTA is dedicated to children's health, well being, and educational success. A key part of PTA's advocacy is to enhance the nutritional health of our nation's children and families. In fact, PTA prides itself on being instrumental in the original passage of legislation at the national level that created the school lunch program over a century ago. It was one of the first pieces of legislation that PTA advocated for at the national level.
- Proposition GG: Add Tax Information Table to Petitions and Ballots
- Proposition GG requires that any citizen-initiated ballot measure that changes the state income tax rate include a tax information table on the ballot and circulated petitions. The table breaks down the average changes in tax owed across specific income categories.
- Supporting public education is central to the mission of PTA - to make every child's potential a reality. A good way to go about this is to educate our families and communities on public school needs and public school finance issues. The transparency ingrained in proposition GG does just that - requiring Colorado voters to be informed about how proposed ballot measures would directly affect their tax responsibility and would impact state tax policy. Proposition GG enables voters to make a more informed decision at the time of signing a petition and while voting.
