Denver court decision in education suit says Colorado is underfunding schools by billions - The Denver Post

Denver court decision in education suit says Colorado is underfunding schools by billions - The Denver Post:

Denver court decision in education suit says Colorado is underfunding schools by billions

POSTED: 12/09/2011 04:19:09 PM MST
UPDATED: 12/09/2011 10:10:31 PM MST

By Tim Hoover and Lynn Bartels
The Denver Post

EXTRAS

Christian Gebhardt, 10, of Greeley, holds up a sign showing the amount per student in 2009. He and other students demonstrated the current levels of Colorado per-pupil school funding with a human graph on the Capitol steps.

• Read: Ruling by District Judge Sheila Rappaport in Lobato vs. State of Colorado.

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• Aug 14:
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• Lobato vs. the State of Colorado: Plaintiffs' opening statements
• School spending on trial in Colorado
• Lobato vs. the State of Colorado: In support of the plaintiffs

In a ruling that could have multi-billion dollar consequences for Colorado's budget, a Denver judge ruled the state's school funding system is not "thorough and uniform" as mandated by the state constitution.

The state's school funding system "is not rationally related to the mandate to establish and maintain a thorough and uniform system of free public schools," District Judge Sheila Rappaport said in her 183-page ruling in which she called the system "unconscionable."

"It is also apparent that increased funding will be required," Rappaport said in her ruling, saying lawmakers would be given

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New Colorado School Grades website grades schools with simple A through F

POSTED: 12/12/2011 01:00:00 AM MST
UPDATED: 12/12/2011 02:01:45 AM MST

By Yesenia Robles
The Denver Post

A coalition of 18 community organizations has launched a nearly $1 million Internet-based project that translates state rankings of public schools into simple letter grades.

"Every parent can relate to grades A through F," said Colorado Succeeds president Tim Taylor, a member of the Colorado School Grades coalition. "We're not changing inputs, just translating in a way that is clear."

The website — in English and Spanish — went live today to coincide with the start of choice

Read more:New Colorado School Grades website grades schools with simple A through F - The Denver Posthttp://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_19527122#ixzz1gKX6tzBO
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