SENATE APPROVES LANDMARK EDUCATION PACKAGE

DENVER—Today the Senate passed a package of landmark education bills aimed at giving all Colorado students the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in tomorrow’s globally competitive 21st century economy.

The Senate gave final approval to the following two bills:

Building Excellent Schools Today (Schwartz & Groff/Romanoff) – Makes up to $1 billion available to repair and rebuild Colorado’s crumbling schools.

Safe Schools (Morse) – Establishes a school Safety Resource Center and Advisory Board in the Department of Public Safety. The center will develop safety/emergency readiness plans to ensure safety in schools through prevention and intervention.

The Senate also gave initial approval to the following five bills:

Cap4K (Romer/Scanlan) – Aligns rigorous course content standards with meaningful proficiency assessments with standardized college admission requirements. Cap4K is a complete redesign and realignment of Colorado’s education systems from pre-school through college.

Teach for Colorado (Shaffer/A. Kerr) – Provides scholarship incentives for college students to pursue careers in mathematics, science, and other high-demand teaching areas in Colorado.

College Opportunity Fund for National Guard Members (Shaffer) – Makes members of the Colorado National Guard eligible for the College Opportunity Fund (COF) stipend.

Streamlining Rural Education (Schwartz) – Streamlines the delivery of administration programs and services in rural school districts. Expands regional service areas throughout the state, leverages resources and encourages collaboration locally to meet varying needs and priorities.

Child Nutrition School Lunch Program (Sandoval/Madden) – Provides school lunches for all eligible children under the federal “National School Lunch Act.”