Gov. Jared Polis visited several locations in the Denver metro area to sign a number of education bills into law.

At the Denver Indian Center, Polis signed House Bill 1444, which reauthorizes History Colorado’s Federal Indian Boarding School Research Program. The program investigates the abuse and deaths that occurred at Indian boarding schools in Colorado. The bill authorizes History Colorado, in collaboration with the Colorado commission of Indian Affairs and a steering committee, to continue its research until 2027. In addition to collecting data and artifacts, History Colorado will hold listening sessions with Native communities to understand the historical impact of these boarding schools on the tribes and their families.

The bill was sponsored by Reps. Barbara McLachlan, D-Durango, and Leslie Herod, D-Denver, and Sens. Jeff Bridges, D-Greenwood Village, and Cleave Simpson, R-Alamosa.

At the Denver Broncos Boys & Girls Club, Polis signed House Bill 1331, establishing the Out-of-School Time Grant Program to support nonprofit organizations that offer services to students when school is not in session. The bill was sponsored by Reps. Rick Taggart, R-Colorado Springs, and Jennifer Bacon, D-Denver, and Sens. Barbara Kirkmeyer, R-Brighton, and Jeff Bridges, D-Greenwood Village.

The governor then stopped at Virginia Court Elementary School in Aurora to sign Senate Bill 188 and House Bill 1448.

Senate Bill 188, also known as the Public School Finance Act, is the state’s annual education budget. The bill marks the elimination of the state’s budget stabilization factor, which was introduced following the Great Recession of 2008. For more details, read here.

The bill was sponsored by Sens. Rachel Zenzinger, D-Arvada, and Janet Buckner, D-Aurora, and Reps. Shannon Bird, D-Westminster, and Barbara McLachlan, D-Durango.

House Bill 1448 adjusts the state’s public school finance formula, which determines the amount of state funding each school district receives. The new formula starts with per-pupil funding and adds factors for at-risk students, English language learners, and special education. It also includes adjustments for cost-of-living, locale, district size, and “extended” high school and online students to calculate the total funding amount.

The bill sparked debate among lawmakers and school districts, saying the formula doesn’t provide enough funding for public schools, but ultimately passed through both chambers. It was sponsored by Reps. Julie McCluskie, D-Dillon, and Jennifer Bacon, D-Denver, and Sens. Paul Lundeen, R-Monument, and Rachel Zenzinger, D-Arvada.

At Sheridan High School in Englewood, Polis signed House Bill 1364, which authorizes the Department of Education to commission a financial study on the costs and potential savings of offering high school students opportunities to earn college credits, industry credentials, and work-based learning experiences.

The bill also requires the Office of Information Technology to create a statewide databank to establish “a consistent, appropriate, secure, and legal means of data sharing and connecting multiple data sets into the data system to support effective state investments, inform policy research, and assist Colorado citizens in making choices related to their education and training pathways.”

Additionally, the bill establishes a governing board to oversee the data system’s development and implementation and creates a cash fund to finance the system.

The bill was sponsored by Reps. Julie McCluskie, D-Dillon, and Jennifer Bacon, D-Denver, and Sens. Jeff Bridges, D-Greenwood Village, and Paul Lundeen, R-Monument.

Polis also signed House Bill 1466, which reallocates funds the state received from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). It requires that by the end of the 2023-2024 fiscal year, any unspent ARPA funds from various programs will be moved back to the state’s main ARPA cash fund, and creates a new fund to help manage the transfers.

ARPA money that hasn’t been spent by Jan. 31, 2025, will go back to the main cash fund to be redistributed to other departments. Additionally, the bill removes several spending deadlines for ARPA funds and requires the Governor and State Controller to report fund transfers and spending to the General Assembly.

The bill was sponsored by Joint Budget Committee members Reps. Shannon Bird, D-Westminster, and Rick Taggart, R-Colorado Springs, and Sens. Rachel Zenzinger, D-Arvada, and Barbara Kirkmeyer, R-Brighton.

Polis’ final bill of the day was Senate Bill 014, which authorizes school districts to grant high school diploma endorsements in “climate literacy” for students who complete two courses on climate literacy and a final experiential learning project.

The bill defines climate literacy as “An understanding of the essential principles of the earth’s climate system, assessing scientifically credible climate information, learning to communicate about the climate in a meaningful manner, and making informed and responsible decisions regarding actions that may affect the climate.”

The bill was sponsored by Sen. Chris Hansen, D-Denver, and Rep. Barbara McLachlan, D-Durango.