FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 1, 2021
Educators Pleased with Governor’s New Budget
Yet still concerned about education budget fiscal cliff in 2025
The following statement may be attributed to Amie Baca-Oehlert, high school counselor and president of the Colorado Education Association:
“There’s a lot to love for public education in the state budget released by Governor Polis today. Educators working hard every day to make every classroom a place with exceptional teaching and learning are pleased with the short-term priorities.
“Educators have been overwhelmed with the difficulties of teaching during COVID but the fact is we have struggled with chronic underfunding of public schools for more than a decade, resulting in impossibly large class sizes, outdated textbooks and paychecks that often don’t pay the bills. We are grateful that the Governor is allocating funds to help buy down the budget stabilization factor to alleviate some strain and provide universal preschool, giving our public schools a much-needed boost.
“While these are great first steps in prioritizing public education, we foresee some dark years ahead. In just three years, we will face an education budget fiscal cliff when federal relief funds run out, TABOR refunds go out and various tax reduction measures we expect to see from corporate special interests and the ultra-wealthy pass.
“So while we are sincerely thanking the Governor today, we want to stress to all Coloradans how important it is to get serious about providing long-term, sustainable funding for the public schools we all value.”
About the Colorado Education Association
The Colorado Education Association is the voice of 39,000 educators, working together in a strong union to ensure all students get the exceptional public schools they deserve, in every neighborhood across the state. As Colorado’s largest labor union, CEA works collectively with all education stakeholders to ensure Colorado’s standing as an excellent state in which to learn, live, work, and raise a family.
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