Just weeks before the start of the school year, the Colorado Department of Education is missing tens of millions of dollars in federal funding for programs that support students learning English; professional development; out-of-school time programming; and more.
Without these funds, districts will face immediate cash flow challenges that threaten everything from professional development to mental health support. These are payments to Colorado kids that we cannot miss.
In a typical year, Colorado receives nearly $80 million in combined funding from the federal government to support a range of programs. The state begins distributing these funds in July, allowing school districts to pay staff salaries, launch summer and early-year programming, and provide vital services for students.
This year, this money simply has not arrived, according to the Colorado Department of Education.
Here’s what’s missing:
Title 1-C (Migrant Education) $7,895,641: Supports Colorado’s 4,000+ migrant students (kids whose parents travel seasonally for U.S. agriculture jobs).i
Title II-A (Effective Instruction) $25,973,650: Pays for professional development, hiring and retaining of high-quality teachers.
Title III-A (English Language Acquisition) $11,140,491: Supports academic resources for English-learning students.
Title IV-A (Flexible Block Grant) $13,529,610: Money that schools can spend to provide well-rounded learning experiences, improving school conditions for learning, or technology and digital literacy skills.
Title IV-B: (Out-of-school Time Academic Enrichment) $13,609,461: Provides after-school and summer learning programs in high-poverty areas to support working families.
CDC Grant for Improving Student Health and Academic Achievement $264,145: Supports healthy eating, physical activity, and the management of chronic conditions in schools.
Adult Education and Family Literacy $2,151,197: Equips parents and adults with the foundational skills and knowledge necessary for economic self-sufficiency.
According to a June 24 update from Department of Education Commissioner Susana Córdova, this delay is already disrupting budgeting and payroll planning for districts across the state.
If Congress does not act, here is what is at stake for Colorado’s students and schools:
Districts will face impossible trade-offs between school safety, student mental health, arts, STEM, and enrichment—critical supports funded across Title II, III and IV funding. Safe, welcoming schools support working-class families, improve learning, and prevent gun violence and youth substance abuse.
Thousands of educators will go without the professional learning and instructional support funded by Title II. High-quality instruction is the biggest driver of improved student outcomes.
Over 120,000 multilingual learners across Colorado could lose access to targeted language development and family engagement programs under Title III. MLs are in almost every classroom in Colorado. All students suffer when their classmates suffer.
Rural districts and small systems—where federal funds represent a larger share of the budget—will be disproportionately harmed.
The Children’s Campaign is calling on Congress to clarify the status of this funding and make sure that this money reaches Colorado children.
Colorado’s students, educators, and schools are already doing more with less. We cannot ask them to do more with nothing.
