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In his final State of the State address, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis reflected on his education legacy after two terms in office.
Polis heads into his last year in office having implemented full-day kindergarten, created a universal preschool program, restored school funding to state constitutionally mandated levels, and focused on workforce training. His ambitious agenda will run up against budget challenges again this year as the state faces an $800 million deficit at the start of this year’s legislative session.
Polis, who is term-limited and will leave the post in 2027, said his passion for improving education drove him to public service. He started his political career on the Colorado State Board of Education.
“Twenty-six years ago, I was driving around the state in an old school bus campaigning for the State Board of Education, demanding more investment in Colorado schools to ensure every student could get a high quality education and thrive,” he said. “Education is about opportunity and hope.”
State Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer, a Weld County Republican who is running for governor, was critical of Polis’ education legacy. She said Republicans were instrumental in getting Polis to allocate more funding to education over the years.
Kirkmeyer criticized Polis for retooling the state’s new funding formula just a year after it passed, which changed how much funding school districts received this year. Polis’ budget for the next school year calls for an increase in state education funding despite a tough budget scenario.
“If it wasn’t for the work that Republicans have done, myself included, to ensure that we eliminate the Budget Stabilization Factor and then guarantee that we’re going to fund education and put it in statute, I think he would have come in with an education cut again this year,” she said, referring to a previous state practice of cutting education funding to pay for other priorities
State Rep. Matthew Martinez, a Monte Vista Democrat, said Polis deserves major credit for prioritizing education, including helping usher in a new school funding formula and eliminating the Budget Stabilization Factor, which diverted billions in mandated education funding from schools.
“To me, that’s a huge legacy, being able to readjust, update the formula, and making sure that it makes sense for everyone in Colorado,” Martinez said.
Polis criticized the Trump administration for some of Colorado’s budget difficulties. The administration has withheld federal funding from the state, and Polis needed to call a special session last year to address federal budget changes that caused a $750 million shortfall.
Colorado also faces about an $800 million shortfall this year due to the need for more spending to maintain programs such as Medicaid.
In his speech, Polis didn’t mention two lawmaker-commissioned reports that say the state needs about $3.5 billion to $4.1 billion more a year to adequately fund education. Lawmakers have said they want to find ways this year to increase the pot of money for Colorado education, which ranks near the bottom in the nation in terms of funding.
Polis said in a news conference after his speech that his focus this year is on the preservation of K-12 funding and reining in healthcare costs. But he didn’t offer any specific ideas for how to bring in more revenue for education.
“We need to make sure that we have budget stability over the long term,” he said.
Jason Gonzales is a reporter covering higher education and the Colorado legislature. Chalkbeat Colorado partners with Open Campus on higher education coverage. Contact Jason at jgonzales@chalkbeat.org.
