AURORA | Because of the number of Aurora Public Schools teachers participating in a sickout, in support of a statewide protest at the state Capitol, all APS schools will be closed Thursday, according to school officials.
“We always work to keep schools open and recognize the impact this may have,” APS administrators said in a statement. “We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience this will cause many of our families.”
APS officials said an overwhelming number of teachers called in sick for Thursday, as part of the Colorado Education Association’s statewide “No More Education Cuts Day of Action.” A demonstration at the state Capitol aims to advocate for increased public education funding across the state.
CEA officials say the protest was prompted by a revised budget and funding proposal released by Gov. Jared Polis.
State teacher union officials say the net result of that budget proposal is a reduction in statewide public schools funding promised last year.
Colorado may have to cut spending by up to $1 billion because of sagging revenues, federal budget changes and Colorado’s unique tax-and-spend laws.
A major change Polis is proposing is to fund schools based on actual student enrollment counts. Currently the state has schools count enrollment on a five-year rolling average.
At the same time, however, per-pupil funding would rise $388 over last year, Polis points out.
“Representations that the Governor is proposing a cut are just inaccurate,” Polis’ staff said in a statement Wednesday.
Still, state and union officials predict it would result in about a $150 million schools funding reduction statewide, and districts with substantially fewer students would feel the substantially smaller net-funding calculation.
The proposed change prompted the CEA to call for a sickout, asking teachers to join the protest.
“A cut is a cut — no matter how it’s framed,” CEA officials state on protest materials. “Reducing school funding will harm students, educators, and public education in Colorado.”
APS officials said that by the end of the school day on Wednesday, so many teachers had called in sick it prompted them to close schools.
In a statement,the district emphasized the ongoing public education funding crisis and its potential consequences, including staff reductions, program cuts, and fewer resources for students.
Although schools will be closed to students, Thursday will be considered a regular workday for staff members who have not called in sick.
Classes are expected to resume on Friday.
There are already no classes in Cherry Creek schools this week, as the school district on spring break. Denver Public Schools issued a list of schools it expects to stay open today.
Thank you unions for holding kids’ education hostage. Disgusting.
I wrote Trio grants when I lived in Texas, so I know where Colorado rates on spending per pupil and education outcomes. That was part of the research I had to do to prove that Texas and my area warranted a Trio grant. Colorado’s spending per pupil is abysmal – in the lower fifth for US states! However, Colorado’s outcomes are remarkably good for the awful funding that’s been going on far too long. This outcome is not sustainable. Because it directly affects the materials that schools can afford, not to mention teacher’s salaries. My daughter is a department head of a Jeffco Science department and struggles with paying her bills. She earned more in Texas than she earns here. Yes, Texas, where the outcomes are terrible and the dropout rate is no. 1 in the nation. Here’s the thing, my daughter has been a teacher for over 20 years and loves what she’s doing. She loves the kids and she’s highly motivated to get kids out on science ventures, where kids can learn in the field. The kids love her in return! She has MS, so her medical bills get in the way. What schools in Colorado offer for medical coverage, especially for her specialists, is pathetic. Salary and medical coverage are huge for teachers. If we want quality education, we need to stop messing with school funding. Otherwise, it will inevitably be in the basement, where the funding is!
Thank you for the level headed and well thought out response.
Perhaps the teachers union should establish a Go Fund Me site to pay for the mediocre education APS delivers anyway. The school districts need to start looking hard at addressing the wasteful spending from within before arguing they need more tax payer funding. Start with cuts to administrators’ salaries. Next, decapitate the teacher’s union and make them right to work employees. Close under performing schools and get rid of teachers who are inept but shielded by the union, and start making families pay for meals and supplies for their students. This isn’t rocket science, and we don’t need to throw more taxpayer money at the problem.