Colorado School Finance Mid-Year Adjustments for 2025-26 Budget

Detected March 18th, 2026

Summary

Colorado HB26-1174 adjusts the 2025-26 school budget by reducing state funding by over $103 million due to lower-than-anticipated pupil counts and higher local shares. The bill clarifies existing school finance formulas for the upcoming budget year.

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What changed

Colorado HB26-1174, concerning school finance for the 2025-26 budget year, intends to decrease the state share of districts' total program funding by $103,472,508. This adjustment is based on findings that the actual funded pupil count and at-risk pupil count are lower than anticipated, and the local share of total program funding is higher than anticipated. The bill also clarifies the application of existing school finance formulas for the 2025-26 budget year, specifically how the greater of the old or new formula, or a combination thereof, is applied.

This legislation directly impacts the budgeting and financial allocations for Colorado's public school districts. School finance officers and administrators should review the specific calculations and formula clarifications to understand the precise impact on their district's state funding for the 2025-26 fiscal year. While no specific compliance deadline is mentioned for actions beyond the legislative process, the adjustments will be factored into the upcoming budget cycle.

What to do next

Review HB26-1174 for specific impact on district funding calculations for the 2025-26 budget year.
Incorporate the adjusted state funding amounts into the 2025-26 budget planning.

Source document (simplified)

HB26-1174

School Finance Mid-Year Adjustments

| Type | Bill |
| --- | --- |
| Session | 2026 Regular Session |
| Subjects | Education & School Finance (Pre & K-12) |
Concerning adjustments to school funding for the 2025-26 budget year, and, in connection therewith, reducing an appropriation.

Recent Bill (PDF) Recent Fiscal Note (PDF) Bill Summary:

Joint Budget Committee. Compared to what was anticipated when appropriations were established in the 2025 regular legislative session for the 2025-26 budget year, the general assembly finds that for the 2025-26 budget year:

The actual funded pupil count and the at-risk pupil count are lower than anticipated;
The local share of total program funding is higher than anticipated; and
Therefore, the general assembly intends to decrease the state share of districts' total program funding by $103,472,508 for the 2025-26 budget year.
Under current law, there are 2 total program formulas to finance public schools, commonly referred to as the old formula and the new formula. For the 2025-26 budget year, a district's total program is the greater of:
The district's total program amount for the 2024-25 budget year; or
The amount calculated for the 2025-26 budget year under the old formula plus an amount equal to 15% of the difference between the amounts calculated between the old formula and the new formula.
The bill clarifies that for the 2025-26 budget year, if the calculation under the new formula is less than the calculation under the old formula, then that district's total program for the 2025-26 budget year is the greater of:
The district's total program amount for the 2024-25 budget year; or
The amount calculated for the 2025-26 budget year under the old formula. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

Prime Sponsors

Representative

Kyle Brown
Representative

Rick Taggart
Senator

Judy Amabile
Senator

Barbara Kirkmeyer

Committees

House

Appropriations

Senate

Appropriations

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Status

Passed

Introduced

Passed

Related Documents & Information

| Date | Version | Documents |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 03/11/2026 | Final Act | PDF |
| 02/20/2026 | Rerevised | PDF |
| 02/19/2026 | Revised | PDF |
| 02/12/2026 | Reengrossed | PDF |
| 02/11/2026 | Engrossed | PDF |
| 02/06/2026 | Introduced | PDF |

| Date | Version | Documents |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 02/09/2026 | Initial Fiscal Note | PDF |

| Date | Version | Documents |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 02/17/2026 | SA1 | PDF |

| Activity | Vote | Documents |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Refer House Bill 26-1174 to the Committee of the Whole and with a recommendation that it be placed on the consent calendar. | The motion passed on a vote of 7-0. | Vote summary |
Hearing Summary | Committee Report: PDF
| Activity | Vote | Documents |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Refer House Bill 26-1174 to the Committee of the Whole. | The motion passed on a vote of 10-1. | Vote summary |
Hearing Summary | Committee Report: PDF
| Date | Calendar | Motion | Vote | Vote Document |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 02/20/2026 | Third Reading | BILL | 32 AYE 1 NO 1 OTHER | Vote record |

| Date | Calendar | Motion | Vote | Vote Document |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 02/12/2026 | Third Reading | BILL | 54 AYE 8 NO 3 OTHER | Vote record |

| Date | Location | Action |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 03/17/2026 | Governor | Sent to the Governor |
| 03/17/2026 | Senate | Signed by the President of the Senate |
| 03/16/2026 | House | Signed by the Speaker of the House |
| 02/20/2026 | Senate | Senate Third Reading Passed - No Amendments |
| 02/19/2026 | Senate | Senate Second Reading Special Order - Passed - No Amendments |
| 02/18/2026 | Senate | Senate Committee on Appropriations Refer Unamended - Consent Calendar to Senate Committee of the Whole |
| 02/17/2026 | Senate | Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Appropriations |
| 02/12/2026 | House | House Third Reading Passed - No Amendments |
| 02/11/2026 | House | House Second Reading Special Order - Passed - No Amendments |
| 02/10/2026 | House | House Committee on Appropriations Refer Unamended to House Committee of the Whole |
| 02/06/2026 | House | Introduced In House - Assigned to Appropriations |
Prime Sponsor

Rep. K. Brown | Rep. R. Taggart

Sen. J. Amabile | Sen. B. Kirkmeyer

Sponsor

Rep. E. Sirota

Sen. J. Bridges

Co-Sponsor

Rep. C. Clifford | Rep. M. Duran | Rep. J. McCluskie