Note: HB 1363 was postponed indefinitely in the House Education committee on April 11, 2024. The following is the CCC’s testimony in opposition to the bill.
The Colorado Catholic Conference opposes HB 1363, Charter School Accountability which would take away learning options from students flourishing in charter schools.
While the bill’s title claims to promote accountability within the charter school system, HB 1363 will instead impose burdensome regulations that would prevent charter schools from operating effectively and efficiently.
For instance, one provision of the bill would allow a local school board to revoke or not renew a district charter school charter because of the school district’s declining pupil enrollment. In other words, even if the charter school is successful and children are flourishing, their school district could revoke the charter merely because traditional public schools in the district are experiencing declining student enrollment. Based on 2023-24 enrollment numbers, this provision would put charter schools in 113 school districts at risk of closure, sending those students back to their zip-code assigned traditional public school that they originally chose to leave.
Currently in Colorado, 261 charter schools serve over 135,000 students. In multiple reports, Colorado has ranked among the best states in the nation for charter school student achievement. Charter schools play a vital role in Colorado educational system and work to provide parents with education options that differ from their zip-code assigned school.
Parents, as primary educators of their children, deserve to have choices when determining where to send their child – Colorado families deserve charter schools.
The Colorado Catholic Conference strongly urges a no vote on this bill