Colorado to Participate in federal Tax credit Scholarshipโข Programโ Despite Opposition
DENVER – Colorado Governor Jared โฃPolis will move โforward with opting the state into a federal taxโ credit scholarship programโ starting in 2027, a decision announced despite vocal opposition from public education advocates. The program will allow organizations to provide funds to parents for education expenses – including private school tuition, books, transportation, and uniforms – for students.
Families earning up to 300% of the area median โฃincomeโ will โฃqualify for the scholarships. While โฃthis thresholdโ encompasses higher-income families โin expensive urban areas, it may exclude some middle-class familiesโข in rural โขcommunities.
Polis’s decision comes after Colorado votersโ rejected previous school choice measures. In 2024,Amendment 80,which would have constitutionally enshrined school โchoice,failed to pass. In 2021, voters also rejected Proposition 119, a measure that would have allocated marijuana tax revenue to after-school programs and tutoring.
A coalition led by Great Education Colorado delivered a letter to โคPolis on โคWednesday urging him to reject theโฃ program. Theโฃ letter argued the stateโ should prioritize increasedโฃ resourcesโข for โขpublic schools and respect voters’ previous decisionsโฃ againstโ vouchers.
“But publicly fundedโค school vouchers are not โthe way to achieve this,” the letter stated. The group cited studies showing mixed results regarding the impact of vouchers on student achievement and raised concerns about a lack of public accountability and potential discrimination against students with disabilities โขor those whoโ identify as LGBTQ+.
The coalition emphasized the unique role of public schools,โ stating, “Unlike the private โor religious schools that โคvouchers โคsupport, our public schools are obligated to teachโข all students, holding โfast to the American ideal of public โขeducation as a โฃspringboard to success and as โฃnecessaryโค to a well-functioning democracy.”
Organizations signing the letter included the Colorado Education Association, Colorado Fiscal Institute, Colorado PTA, Movimiento Poder,โ and The Bell Policyโค Center.
