Amendment 23 was passed in 2000 in response to the fact that Colorado’s per-pupil funding for education was well below the national average. The amendment requires that per-pupil funding for education increase by a certain percentage every year.
However, in 2009, in the face of the economic downturn and falls in revenues, the legislature reinterpreted Amendment 23. They modified the funding formula so that the amount of money that goes toward the increase in per-pupil funding is then taken out of the state budget, which creates a "negative factor" and causes the education budget overall to lose funds.
Great Education Colorado and other organizations filed an amicus brief that argues this modification of the formula violates Amendment 23 because it is counter to the original intent of the amendment, which was to increase funding for education.
The amicus brief is here.
What are your thoughts?
Posted by Katie Steefel and Haley DiRenzo.