Colorado
Colorado education issues to watch in 2026 include budgetary constraints, declining enrollment, and the fate of Colorado’s first “public Christian school.”
The Denver school board approved a two-year, $3.5 million contract with TeachStart to provide year-long substitute teachers for certain schools.
As part of a proposed settlement reached last week, all SAVE borrowers will have limited time to choose a new repayment plan.
The trend of declining enrollment could lead to more school closures, even as the school board has enacted a four-year moratorium with a major caveat.
Parents will have to request fee refunds in writing.
Denver Public Schools has a new policy that calls for closing low-performing schools. But the state recently raised the ratings for 2 DPS schools, sparing them from closure under that policy.
JB Holston will lead the Colorado Department of HIgher Education following a career in business and civic leadership. He also advised on a report that recommended merging the department with other workforce functions.
Groups supportive of charter schools outspent teachers unions by nearly 3 to 1, but the big spending didn’t pay off.
A new report from the governor says the state should create a new Department of Education and Workforce Development, which would merge the functions of 7 current agencies.
Anne Ochs had two more years in her school board term. She submitted her resignation letter Wednesday.
The shift in the structure for the Beacon schools is more evidence that Denver is moving away from the policies and practices put in place during its education reform peak.
A fifth grade teacher could be fired because of social media posts related to the strike and other allegations made by district officials.
State officials say parents should be able to fill out the universal preschool application in about five minutes.
Polis appears to be the second Democratic governor to opt into a tax-credit program that is expected to expand private school choice. An education coalition wants him to reconsider.
The districts’ lawsuit against the state will continue.
Of the bottom 10 states in the country with the lowest number of students completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, nine are western states. Bill DeBaun of the National College Attainment Network has a few theories as to why.
Gaytán was reelected last month to a second four-year term on the board. She previously served a two-year stint as president from 2021 through 2023.
Angie Paccione has served as the Colorado Department of Higher Education’s executive director since 2019.
The district’s decision to remove books from school libraries has now led to two lawsuits.
Colorado’s community colleges have rebounded since the pandemic, with the most gains among dual-enrolled high school students. But the state also reported enrollment gains among older students.