Final
STAFF SUMMARY OF MEETING

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

Date:03/30/2010
ATTENDANCE
Time:12:22 PM to 12:44 PM
Benefield
Massey
Place:SupCt
McNulty
Middleton
This Meeting was called to order by
Murray
Representative Merrifield
Peniston
Scanlan
This Report was prepared by
Schafer S.
Katey McGettrick
Summers
Tipton
Todd
Solano
Merrifield
X = Present, E = Excused, A = Absent, * = Present after roll call
Bills Addressed: Action Taken:
Department of Education
Department of Higher Education		Witness Testimony and/or Committee Discussion Only
Witness Testimony and/or Committee Discussion Only


12:22 PM -- Call to Order

Representative Merrifield, the chair, called the committee to order. The committee convened to discuss the FY 2010-11 budget package with the members of the Joint Budget Committee (JBC). The FY 2010-11 Budget Package and Long Bill Narrative is available at: http://www.state.co.us/gov_dir/leg_dir/jbc/10LBNarrative.pdf. Page numbers referenced in this summary are referring to this document.


12:22 PM -- Department of Education

Representative Pommer discussed the cuts that have been made to the K-12 education budget: $387 million from current law and $149 million less than last year's budget. He also discussed the funding for categorical programs, noting that the overall funding to categoricals will be cut. He enumerated which programs that had been funded through the State Education Fund (SEF) and now are being eliminated in order to balance the budget.


12:26 PM

Representative Benefield asked where the funding for mandated assessments comes from, seeking clarification if it was funded through the SEF. Representative Pommer responded that it primarily comes from the SEF, but that some federal monies may be used for that purpose. Representative Benefield asked if this needs to be addressed because the SEF is projected to be bankrupt soon and whether the state should explore the option of asking the federal government to pay for the testing that is being mandated. Representative Pommer replied that it would be unlikely that the federal government would provide money and would result in a loss of Title I funding. Discussion on this topic ensued.




12:31 PM

Representative Solano asked why the state received additional federal funds for the Colorado Student Assessment Program (CSAP). Representative Pommer responded that this is not new funding and is not appropriated by the legislature but that the JBC staff is reflecting the funding in the Long Bill this year for informational purposes. Representative Todd asked about the increases in the funding for the ACT exam. Representative Pommer responded that the increase for the ACT exam reflects an increase in a contractual obligation.


12:34 PM -- Department of Higher Education

Representative Pommer reviewed the JBC budget package recommendations for the Department of Higher Education, specifically noting the role of federal stimulus funds in the higher education budget. He discussed House Bill 10-1383 which removes funding for the CollegeInvest Scholarship Program. He noted that current obligations to scholarship grantees will be honored, but the department will not fund additional scholarships. He referred to a chart on p. 113*, which shows how much funding is being allocated to each higher education institution's governing board. Representative Tipton asked why there have been 445 new hires in higher education. Representative Pommer responded that the legislature does not make hiring decisions. He further explained that schools may receive a grant in order to hire a person for a specific purpose. Representative Murray expressed an interest in having a breakdown of where the funding is coming from for the additional staff. Discussion on this topic ensued.

Eric Kurtz, Joint Budget Committee Staff, referred the committee to a chart on page 115, which explains the increases of FTE in higher education. The FTE increase is primarily occurring at the community college-level because of the increases in enrollment.


12:41 PM

Representative Solano inquired about local share and local funding on K-12 education on p. 64 and p. 65. Representative Pommer responded that he can provide her with a chart that details the local property tax information. Representative Schafer asked about the source of cash funds for the chart listed on p. 59. Representative Pommer responded that the Long Bill letter notes explain where the funding comes from, but noted that the source of cash funds is primarily the State Education Fund (SEF), the Public School Fund, and educator licensing fees.


12:44 PM

The committee adjourned.


*The FY 2010-11 Budget Package and Long Bill Narrative is available at: http://www.state.co.us/gov_dir/leg_dir/jbc/10LBNarrative.pdf. Page numbers referenced in this summary are referring to this document.