Bill Summary for Bill Number HB14-1314

Date: 03/24/2014

Final
BILL SUMMARY for HB14-1314

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

Votes: View-->	Action Taken:
Refer House Bill 14-1314 to the Committee of the W	PASS

01:32 PM -- HB14-1314

Representative Hamner, Chair, welcomed the committee and audience members. Representative Petterson, sponsor, introduced House Bill 14-1314, which requires school districts to consult with the charter schools inside their boundaries when planning for a mill levy override election. Under the bill, districts would still choose whether or not to include charter schools in mill levy overrides, but representatives of the charter(s) would have to be part of the planning process. Representative Petterson responded to questions from the committee. The committee discussed the funds need to put forward a mill levy override and the timing for a school board to certify the language for a mill levy override.

The following people testified:

01:37 PM -- Dan Schaller, representing the Colorado League of Charter Schools, testified in support of the bill. He discussed the benefits of the bill to charter schools in Colorado, which serve roughly 11 percent of the state's school population. He discussed the obstacles faced by charter schools, including consistent access to local tax revenue. He explained the gap in funding between charter schools and district schools, and pointed out that charter schools only receive 85 percent of the total per pupil funding of district schools. He discussed the advantages of districts considering charters when making mill levy decisions. Mr. Schaller responded to questions from the committee.

01:46 PM -- Rob Clemens, representing New Vision Charter School in Thompson District R-2J, testified in support of the bill. He discussed the benefits that mill levies bring to schools. He discussed the way mill levies benefited district schools during his tenure in Denver Public Schools. He discussed New Vision's exclusion from mill levy ballot initiatives in the past and the lack of resulting funding.

01:48 PM -- Jonathan Berg, representing James Irwin Charter Schools in Harrison District 2, testified in support of the bill. He discussed events in September 2010, when he was asked to support a mill levy override with what he felt was an inequitable distribution. He discussed his exclusion from the planning process. Mr. Berg responded to questions from the committee.

01:52 PM -- Ben Ploeger, representing Eagle Ridge Charter School in School District 27J, testified in support of the bill. He shared his experiences being included in an upcoming mill levy election. He pointed out that 20 percent of the 16,000 students in his district are served by charters. He explained how the district put together a committee including parents, students, and teachers from district schools and charter schools, as well as community leaders. He pointed out the benefits of this approach, including the ability to share the needs and operating conditions of charters with representatives from the school district. He contrasted his positive experiences with the experiences of other charter schools throughout Colorado. Mr. Ploeger responded to questions from the committee.

01:58 PM

Representative Petterson responded to questions from the committee.

01:59 PM -- Jane Urschel, representing the Colorado Association of School Boards, testified in support of the bill. She discussed the bill pertaining to bond elections that passed in 2008, and the parallel provisions in this bill that give charter schools a voice in discussions of mill levy elections. Dr. Urschel responded to questions from the committee.

02:01 PM -- Luke Ragland, representing Colorado Succeeds, testified in support of the bill. He discussed the business community's support of the bill and explained that the bill will improve quality educational options for families across Colorado.

02:04 PM -- Reilly Pharo, representing the Colorado Children's Campaign, testified in support of the bill. She discussed her organization's support of the consistency and parity represented in the bill, as well as the transparency the local agreements in the bill would provide. Ms. Pharo responded to questions from the committee.

02:06 PM

Julie Pelegrin, Office of Legislative Legal Services, came to the table to respond to questions from the committee. She discussed page seven, line one of the bill.

02:09 PM

Representative Petterson offered closing comments to the bill. She discussed the needs of charter schools and the difficulty some charters have had in discussing mill levy elections with their authorizing districts.


BILL:	HB14-1314
TIME:	02:10:49 PM
MOVED:	Pettersen
MOTION:	Refer House Bill 14-1314 to the Committee of the Whole. The motion passed on a vote of 12-0, with one member excused.
SECONDED:	McNulty
		VOTE
	Buckner	Yes
	Court	Yes
	Everett	Yes
	Fields	Yes
	Holbert	Yes
	McNulty	Yes
	Murray	Excused
	Pettersen	Yes
	Priola	Yes
	Wilson	Yes
	Young	Yes
	Peniston	Yes
	Hamner	Yes

Final YES: 12 NO: 0 EXC: 1 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS

02:11 PM

Representative Court distributed copies of a newspaper article and encouraged committee members to read it (Attachment A). The committee adjourned.

14HseEd0324AttachA.pdf