Hyoung Chang / The Denver Post
Legislators can raise school district property taxes without getting new voter approval, the Colorado Supreme Court ruled Monday.
The decision marks a major victory for supporters of school finance reform who have watched Colorado struggle to fund its schools, even as K-12 education takes up a growing share of the state budget.
With news of the Supreme Court’s blessing, state senators Monday approved a bill that would gradually increase local taxes in many school districts, generating more than $91 million for schools next year and more than $288 million a year when fully implemented.
The extra money will come from local taxpayers, not state coffers. Republicans Sens. Kevin Priola of Brighton, Bob Rankin of Carbondale, and Don Coram of Montrose joined Democrats in what was otherwise a party-line vote.
Legislators can raise school district property taxes without getting new voter approval, the Colorado Supreme Court ruled Monday.
The decision marks a major victory for supporters of school finance reform who have watched Colorado struggle to fund its schools, even as K-12 education takes up a growing share of the state budget.
With news of the Supreme Court’s blessing, state senators Monday approved a bill that would gradually increase local taxes in many school districts, generating more than $91 million for schools next year and more than $288 million a year when fully implemented.
The extra money will come from local taxpayers, not state coffers. Republicans Sens. Kevin Priola of Brighton, Bob Rankin of Carbondale, and Don Coram of Montrose joined Democrats in what was otherwise a party-line vote.