BOULDER, Colo. — The Boulder Valley School District (BVSD) has canceled school for students on Thursday due to an anticipated staff shortage amid a day of action.
The Colorado Education Association is leading the No More Education Cuts statewide day of action on March 20. The district said it has received more than 600 staff absence reports for that day.
BVSD said the large number of absences "will prevent the district from keeping our schools open and operating in a safe and meaningful manner." As a result, students will not have school on Thursday.
"We know this may present a significant hardship for some BVSD families," the district said. "The district’s goal in communicating the closure today is to share it well enough advance so families can make necessary arrangements."
Thursday will remain a workday for all BVSD school and district employees. Absent employees will be required to use available personal leave, according to BVSD.
Schools will operate normally on Friday.
Education
Adams 12 superintendent sounds the alarm over Polis's education budget proposal
Colorado faces a $1 billion budget shortfall, forcing lawmakers to cut spending.
Governor Jared Polis proposed using a single-year student count to determine per-pupil funding for a school district. The current method uses a 5-year average of student enrollment, intended to smooth over any sudden declines or increases in enrollment.
Polis has said the new method will help the state fund an accurate amount of students instead of empty seats. However, educators worry a formula change could hurt schools that are already severely underfunded.
Education leaders predicted that the education algorithm change would cut $150 million in funding. However, a spokesperson for Polis previously told Denver7, "the Governor’s budget actually increases education funding by $138 million in a rough budget year and average per-pupil spending by an additional $388."
Politics
Polis, lawmakers negotiating alternative school funding plan after backlash
Following backlash by education leaders, Colorado House Speaker Julie McCluskie drafted a proposal that creates a more gradual transition to a single-year student count and would cut $50 million instead of $150 million from school funding. According to McCluskie, all 178 Colorado school districts will either receive new money or maintain current funding levels under the new proposal.
"I'm really excited that we may have found a path forward now that is inclusive and honors the spirit of the deal we made last year in protecting those investments," McCluskie said. "Again, schools this year, with my proposal, will get what they received this year in funding or more, just not as much more as we'd hoped to be able to deliver for 25-26 [school year]."
Polis's office released a statement on the proposal, saying in part, "His responsible budget proposal aims to fund students based on where they are learning, not through an arbitrary multi-year average. The House Speaker and Governor’s offices are engaged in conversations with districts to identify a path forward that addresses some concerns of districts while also moving away from the fundamental inaccuracy of Colorado’s current averaging, and negotiations are ongoing .”
In its announcement, BVSD said it will experience a funding loss of nearly $5 million next year.
“We support the fight for the fully-funded schools that our staff and students deserve,” said BVSD Superintendent Dr. Rob Anderson in a letter to staff and families. “Our Board of Education and I will continue to advocate at the legislative level and will share updates at our regular public meetings.”
Denver7's Jaclyn Allen contributed to this report.
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