VOTERS ASK: HOW DO WE FUND SCHOOLS?

Not surprisingly, the bulk of questions pitched to local lawmakers
during a bipartisan town hall meeting Saturday dealt with funding
levels of public education - both at the K-12 and higher education
levels.

The forum offered about 100 people an opportunity to speak to Fort
Collins state delegation - Democratic Senator Bob Bacon and Republican
Senator Steve Johnson, and Reps. Randy Fischer and John Kefalas, both
Democrats.

Among many issues discussed with lawmakers were funding levels for
higher education and K-12 systems, the impact of state mandated
graduation requirements and accessibility to financial aid.

The discussion surrounding funding levels was similar to many the
lawmakers have had with constituents at previous town hall forums: how
best to get more money to a struggling higher education system and to
secure K-12 allocations in future years.

All lawmakers agreed there isn't a magical solution to the funding
problem but assured people the question is being debated and looked at
under the dome in Denver.

Many people had questions around Senate Bill 131 which would require
school districts to mandate four years of math and three years of
science at the high school level in order to graduate.

The bill passed the Senate on third reading with Bacon against it and
Johnson voting in favor.

"If you look at the United States and what is happening with the other
countries around the world and the quality of their math and science
and how fast it's growing when compared to the United States I am
concerned," Johnson said.

"If we want our country to be competitive and we don't want to see our
jobs outsourced overseas then I think we need to see our students do
better in math and better in science."

The increased mandates could be costly for small school districts,
said Estes Park resident Doug Frisbee, a former school board member in
the mountain town.

"I understand the need for science and math if students are going to
attend college, but I don't think it's appropriate to have kids who
aren't college bound held to the same requirements," Frisbee said. "It
would also be so costly that it would end up forcing small districts
to (abandon) other important programming."

Bacon said he voted against the measure because he believes the state
should keep its legislative hand out of a school district's power of
local control.

Another issue legislators heard about was a relatively unknown barrier
to financial aid in Colorado for people convicted of a drug crime.

CSU graduate student Amanda Broz, a spokesperson for Students for
Sensible Drug Policy, inquired about what can be done to put people
convicted of a drug crime on the same equal footing as those who
commit murder when applying for financial aid.

"People convicted of drug crimes shouldn't be (prohibited) from trying
to better their life," Broz said.

Lawmakers said they weren't aware of the block written into Colorado
rules for federal aid but did say they would take a deeper look.

"I think it's an interesting thing that needs to be addressed,"
Kefalas said after the meeting ended.

"As I told (Broz), I would be willing to sponsor legislation on the
issue next year (if it makes sense.)"