Bill Summary for Bill Number SB09-089

Date: 02/12/2009

Final
BILL SUMMARY for SB09-089

SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

Votes: View-->	Action Taken:
Moved amendment L.006 (Attachment E). The motion Moved amendment L.007 (Attachment F). The motion Moved amendment L.008 (Attachment G). The motion Moved amendment L.009 (Attachment H). The motion Refer Senate Bill 09-089, as amended, to the Commi	Pass Without Objection Pass Without Objection Pass Without Objection Pass Without Objection PASS

05:02 PM -- Senate Bill 09-089

Senator King, sponsor of Senate Bill 09-089, presented the bill. The bill makes a number of changes to the State Charter School Institute (CSI). Senator King asked Randy DeHoff, Executive Director, State Charter School Institute, to explain why the CSI requested the bill. Senator King said he would offer amendments to address many of the concerns people have around the bill.

Mr. DeHoff described the bill, beginning with provisions that would exempt the CSI from state procurement regulations. He said higher education has a similar exemption. He explained the need for this exemption.

Mr. DeHoff talked about the provisions of the bill pertaining to facilities. He explained why this provision would be useful, citing an example of a school in Durango. He responded to a committee question on this provision seeking clarification. Senator King spoke to this issue as well, clarifying that the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) is okay with these provisions.

05:10 PM

Mr. DeHoff talked about issues around funding of institute charter schools when the state share of funding is inadequate. Senator King spoke to this issue as well.

05:13 PM

Senator King provided some clarification to what his amendments would do. He said amendment L.006 (Attachment E) removes the provisions regarding schools of statewide concern. L.008 (Attachment G), he said, removes the concept of the issue in Avon, and he remarked that that should be addressed in the School Finance Act. Senator King explained that amendment L.007 (Attachment F) removes the contingency reserve requirement. He said amendment L.009 (Attachment H) cleans up some issues the governing board had with the bill as drafted and addresses loans.

05:16 PM

The following persons testified:

05:16 PM -- Wayne Eckerling, member of the Charter School Institute Board, testified in support of the bill. He said the bill helps alleviate some facility issues. Senator King commented on the testimony.

05:18 PM -- Sally Augden, representing the League of Women Voters of Colorado, testified in opposition to the bill. She expressed concern around diminishment of local control under the bill. Ms. Augden said tools are in place in districts to make changes. She said the league is concerned about equality for all students, and with charter schools, she said, there seems to be a resegregation of students.

Ms. Augden responded to questions from the committee. President Groff asked what the league's research shows with regard to options for closing the achievement gap other than charter schools. She said that sufficient funding for public schools is an issue. Ms. Augden responded to a comment from Senator Romer about money as the answer to achievement gap issues. Senator Romer said the achievement gap is the civil rights issue of our time. Ms. Augden responded to Senator Romer's comments, saying she has not seen that charter schools totally fulfill that role.

05:27 PM -- Dan Daly, representing the Colorado Education Association (CEA), testified in opposition to the bill. He said CEA is not opposed to charter schools, but is opposed to the state usurping local districts' authority by chartering schools through the State Charter School Institute. He said amendment L.006 seems to address that issue. Mr. Daly said the bill may incentivize the Charter School Institute to open schools in high-PPR districts as a way to generate revenue. He said, depending on the amendments, CEA may come back in support of the bill.

Mr. Daly responded to committee questions, including a question from Senator Heath about his position on the amendment taking out provisions regarding schools of statewide concern.

05:31 PM -- Bruce Caughey, representing the Colorado Association of School Executives (CASE), testified in opposition to the bill as originally drafted. He said he cannot testify to what might happen to the bill with the proposed amendments. Mr. Caughey said amendment L.006 addresses the most serious concern about the bill, but said there is still work to be done.

05:33 PM -- Jane Urschel, representing the Colorado Association of School Boards (CASB), testified on the bill, and said all the amendments are improvements. She said amendment L.006 does solve some problems CASB saw with the bill.

05:34 PM

Senator King made closing comments to the bill. He said the mission of the CSI is to serve at-risk students in the state.


BILL:	SB09-089
TIME:	05:36:22 PM
MOVED:	King K.
MOTION:	Moved amendment L.006 (Attachment E). The motion passed without objection.
SECONDED:
		VOTE
	Groff
	Heath
	Hudak
	King K.
	Scheffel
	Spence
	Romer
	Bacon

Not Final YES: 0 NO: 0 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: Pass Without Objection


BILL:	SB09-089
TIME:	05:37:32 PM
MOVED:	King K.
MOTION:	Moved amendment L.007 (Attachment F). The motion passed without objection.
SECONDED:
		VOTE
	Groff
	Heath
	Hudak
	King K.
	Scheffel
	Spence
	Romer
	Bacon

Not Final YES: 0 NO: 0 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: Pass Without Objection


BILL:	SB09-089
TIME:	05:39:34 PM
MOVED:	King K.
MOTION:	Moved amendment L.008 (Attachment G). The motion passed without objection.
SECONDED:
		VOTE
	Groff
	Heath
	Hudak
	King K.
	Scheffel
	Spence
	Romer
	Bacon

Not Final YES: 0 NO: 0 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: Pass Without Objection


BILL:	SB09-089
TIME:	05:40:05 PM
MOVED:	King K.
MOTION:	Moved amendment L.009 (Attachment H). The motion passed without objection.
SECONDED:
		VOTE
	Groff
	Heath
	Hudak
	King K.
	Scheffel
	Spence
	Romer
	Bacon

Not Final YES: 0 NO: 0 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: Pass Without Objection

05:40 PM

Senator Romer made comments to the bill, talking about the practicalities around serving at-risk students. Senator Hudak responded to Senator Romer's comments. Senator King expressed his willingness to work with the stakeholders on the bill.


BILL:	SB09-089
TIME:	05:40:29 PM
MOVED:	King K.
MOTION:	Refer Senate Bill 09-089, as amended, to the Committee on Appropriations. The motion passed on an 8-0 vote.
SECONDED:
		VOTE
	Groff	Yes
	Heath	Yes
	Hudak	Yes
	King K.	Yes
	Scheffel	Yes
	Spence	Yes
	Romer	Yes
	Bacon	Yes

Final YES: 8 NO: 0 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS

05:43 PM

The committee adjourned.