Colorado House Proposes Bill to Bail Out Public Schools with Indigent Migrants
Coloradans have been burdened with inflated property tax bills, and instead of addressing the issue and lowering valuations, Democrats in the state legislature have found a different use for that extra $24 million.
Liberal Democrats at the state Capitol plan to allocate the funds to schools that have experienced an increase in undocumented migrant students. While hardworking Coloradans struggle to pay their property taxes, state Democrats are diverting the money to support indigent migrants and Denver's misguided sanctuary city policies.
This week, state lawmakers began considering providing extra funding, commonly referred to as a bailout, to Colorado public school districts that are grappling with an influx of migrant students. The bill being debated, HB24-1207, is titled Adjustments to School Funding Budget Year 2023-24.
As more migrants are being transported to Colorado from the southern border, schools across the state, particularly in Denver and the front range, are facing challenges in accommodating these students. The surge in migrant enrollment has led to larger class sizes and has put additional strain on district budgets.
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Despite these difficulties, schools in sanctuary cities continue to accept indigent migrant students.
The number of migrant students enrolling in Denver Public Schools since last summer exceeds the entire population of many Colorado communities.
Scott Pribble, the director of external communications for DPS, stated that over 3,400 indigent migrant students have joined Denver Public Schools since July. DPS school board documents reveal that 200 to 250 migrant students are enrolling in the district each week.
State Representative Emily Sirota, a Democrat from Denver, says that she and her colleagues have been approached by districts across the state that have experienced an influx of migrant students since the October count. They have appealed for assistance, and Sirota is proposing a plan to provide that help.
Sirota says that due to higher-than-anticipated local share from property taxes, $24 million has been retained in the state education fund. However, this money was collected despite Colorado voters demanding action on property taxes, not its allocation to indigent migrant students.
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The actual amount each district receives would depend on the number of verified students they have. While some districts, like DPS, would still fall short of the usual funding based on enrollment numbers, any assistance is better than none.
The proposal to use taxpayer funds to bail out public schools that have enrolled an influx of migrant students raises concerns among conservative voices. Many Coloradans believe that their inflated property tax bills should be addressed and corrected, rather than diverting funds to address the consequences of sanctuary city policies.
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