School Finance Act Increases Per Pupil Funding $217.30 to $8,909.10
Summary
Colorado Senate Bill 26-023, the School Finance Act, would increase statewide base per-pupil funding by $217.30 for the 2026-27 budget year, setting a new per-pupil base of $8,909.10 and total program funding of $10,209,589,888. The bill passed the Senate Education Committee on April 20, 2026 on a 7-0 vote after multiple amendments (L.002–L.010) were adopted, and was referred to the Senate Appropriations Committee, which held a hearing on April 24, 2026. Multiple amendments (L.015, L.016, J.001) were passed by the Senate Appropriations Committee on April 24, 2026.
“Increases the statewide base per pupil funding for the 2026-27 budget year by $217.30 to account for inflation;”
School districts expecting the proposed per-pupil base of $8,909.10 for 2026-27 should track whether the final enacted figure matches the current committee-passed version, as amendment L.016 and subsequent floor amendments could further modify the funding amount before Senate Second Reading and House consideration.
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What changed
SB26-023 would amend Colorado's School Finance Act to increase the statewide base per-pupil funding amount by $217.30, bringing the new base to $8,909.10 per pupil for the 2026-27 budget year. Total program funding would be set at $10,209,589,888. Multiple amendments (L.002 through L.016, J.001) have been adopted at the Senate Education and Appropriations committee stages, with the latest being L.016 passed on April 24, 2026. The bill is currently pending in the Senate after committee passage and has not been enacted into law.
Colorado school districts, boards of education, and education advocacy organizations should monitor the bill's progress through the Senate and track amendments adopted at each stage, as the final funding amounts and allocation mechanisms may change before passage. Districts should review current per-pupil allocations against the proposed new base to assess potential budget implications for the 2026-27 school year.
Hearing
- Date
- 2026-04-24 at 08:00
- Location
- LSB B
Archived snapshot
Apr 24, 2026GovPing captured this document from the original source. If the source has since changed or been removed, this is the text as it existed at that time.
SB26-023
School Finance Act
| Type | Bill |
|---|---|
| Session | 2026 Regular Session |
| Subjects | Education & School Finance (Pre & K-12) |
Concerning the financing of public schools.
Recent Bill (PDF) Recent Fiscal Note (PDF) Bill Summary:
The bill:
- Increases the statewide base per pupil funding for the 2026-27 budget year by $217.30 to account for inflation;
- Sets a new statewide base per pupil funding amount for the 2026-27 budget year at $8,909.10; and
- Sets the total program funding for the 2026-27 budget year at $10,209,589,888. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
Prime Sponsors
Chris Kolker
Senator
Barbara Kirkmeyer
Representative
Eliza Hamrick
Committees
Senate
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Status
Under Consideration
Introduced
Under Consideration
Upcoming Schedule
1 meeting
Apr 24
Senate Appropriations
8:00 AM LSB B
Related Documents & Information
| Date | Version | Documents |
|---|---|---|
| 01/14/2026 | Introduced |
| Date | Version | Documents |
|---|---|---|
| 04/21/2026 | PA1 |
| Date | Version | Documents |
|---|---|---|
| 04/22/2026 | First Revised Fiscal Note | |
| 04/13/2026 | Initial Fiscal Note |
| Date | Version | Documents |
|---|---|---|
| 04/23/2026 | SA1 |
| Activity | Vote | Documents |
|---|---|---|
| Refer Senate Bill 26-023, as amended, to the Committee of the Whole. | The motion passed on a vote of 7-0. | Vote summary |
| Activity | Vote | Documents |
|---|---|---|
| Adopt amendment L.002 | The motion passed without objection. | Vote summary |
| Adopt amendment L.003 | The motion passed without objection. | Vote summary |
| Adopt amendment L.004 | The motion passed without objection. | Vote summary |
| Adopt amendment L.005 | The motion passed without objection. | Vote summary |
| Adopt amendment L.007 | The motion passed without objection. | Vote summary |
| Adopt amendment L.009 | The motion passed without objection. | Vote summary |
| Adopt amendment L.010 | The motion passed without objection. | Vote summary |
| Refer Senate Bill 26-023, as amended, to the Committee on Appropriations. | The motion passed on a vote of 7-0. | Vote summary |
| Hearing Summary | Committee Report: PDF | |
| Date | Amendment Number | Committee/ Floor Hearing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 04/24/2026 | L.016 | SEN Appropriations |
| 04/24/2026 | L.015 | SEN Appropriations |
| 04/24/2026 | J.001 | SEN Appropriations |
| 04/20/2026 | L.010 | SEN Education |
| 04/20/2026 | L.009 | SEN Education |
| 04/20/2026 | L.007 | SEN Education |
| 04/20/2026 | L.005 | SEN Education |
| 04/20/2026 | L.004 | SEN Education |
| 04/20/2026 | L.003 | SEN Education |
| 04/20/2026 | L.002 | SEN Education |
- Amendments passed in committee are not incorporated into the measure unless adopted by the full House or Senate.
** The status of Second Reading amendments may be subsequently affected by the adoption of an amendment to the Committee of the Whole Report. Refer to the House or Senate Journal for additional information.
| Date | Location | Action |
|---|---|---|
| 04/24/2026 | Senate | Senate Committee on Appropriations Refer Amended to Senate Committee of the Whole |
| 04/20/2026 | Senate | Senate Committee on Education Refer Amended to Appropriations |
| 01/14/2026 | Senate | Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Education |
Prime Sponsor
Sen. B. Kirkmeyer | Sen. C. Kolker
Sponsor
(None) Co-Sponsor
(None)
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