This JBC bill will replace and consolidate older education grant programs and create a new funding model that supports high school students in earning college credits, industry credentials, and work-based learning experiences.
New Funding Model with Three Components
Start-Up Funding (2025–26 to 2027–28)
Helps local education providers (LEPs) develop and launch new postsecondary and workforce readiness programs.
Covers eligible costs like program design, curriculum development, and initial partnerships.
Phases out and repeals after 2027–28.
Innovation Grant Funding (Starting 2028–29)
Available to LEPs and schools that:
Are on Priority Improvement or Turnaround plans
Show low postsecondary/workforce readiness performance
Supports the creation of new strategies to improve student success rates.
Sustain Funding (Starting 2026–27)
Reimburses LEPs based on actual student achievements from the prior year:
Students earning college credits
Students obtaining an industry-recognized credential
Students completing work-based learning experiences
Specific reimbursement percentages are set for 2026–27 but may be adjusted by the State Board
Repealed Existing Programs
After 2025–26, the following older programs are repealed:
Accelerating Students Through Concurrent Enrollment Program
Career Development Success Program
Upon the bill’s passage, the following are immediately repealed:
Concurrent Enrollment Expansion and Innovation Grant Program
John W. Buckner Automatic Enrollment in Advanced Courses Grant Program
State Board of Education Role
Authorized to adopt rules about how start-up, innovation, and sustain funding are distributed and managed.
Department of Education Working Group
The Department must create a working group of educators to:
Evaluate the Teacher Retention and Preparation Program.
Evaluate Pathways in Technology Early College High Schools (P-TECH).
Submit a report with findings and recommendations.
Overall Effect
Modernizes and streamlines education funding tied to career and college readiness.
Moves funding away from program expansion grants toward performance-based reimbursement for actual student outcomes.
Targets extra support for schools with lower postsecondary readiness
Aims to simplify and focus Colorado's approach to preparing students for life after high school.
Summary
Joint Budget Committee. The bill creates a postsecondary and
workforce readiness funding model that includes 3 types of funding: Start-up funding, innovation grant funding, and sustain funding. The state board of education (state board) is authorized to adopt rules concerning these funding sources.
For the 2025-26 budget year through the 2027-28 budget year, the department of education (department) will determine each local education provider's start-up funding, which is used for eligible expenses that are associated with developing and implementing a postsecondary and workforce readiness program. Start-up funding gradually phases out and repeals after the 2027-28 budget year.
Beginning in the 2028-29 budget year, innovation grant funding
is for eligible expenses that are associated with developing and implementing a postsecondary and workforce readiness program. Local education providers that are required to adopt a priority improvement plan or a turnaround plan, or authorize schools that are required to adopt a priority improvement plan or turnaround plan, for the current or prior budget year and demonstrate, or authorize a school that demonstrates, a low level of attainment on the postsecondary workforce readiness indicator for the prior school year are eligible for innovation grant funding.
Sustain funding is used to reimburse local education providers'
expenses for students who, in the preceding budget year, successfully satisfied postsecondary credit, industry-recognized credential, or work-based learning requirements. For the 2026-27 budget year, of total sustain funding, a certain percentage is for reimbursing postsecondary credit attainment, reimbursing industry-recognized credentials, and reimbursing work-based learning. For the 2027-28 budget year, and budget years thereafter, the state board may adjust the percentages for these categories.
The bill repeals the accelerating students through concurrent
enrollment program and career development success program after the 2025-26 budget year. Upon passage, the bill repeals the:
•
Concurrent enrollment expansion and innovation grant program; and
•
John W. Buckner automatic enrollment in advanced courses grant program.
The bill makes conforming amendments necessary to reflect these changes.
The bill requires the department to convene a working group that
includes educators to report its findings and recommendations concerning the effectiveness of the teacher retention and preparation program and the pathways in technology early college high schools.
