Second Regular Session
Seventy-fourth General Assembly
STATE OF COLORADO
REENGROSSED
This Version Includes All Amendments
Adopted in the House of Introduction
LLS NO. 24-1084.01 Jacob Baus x2173
HOUSE BILL 24-1393
House Committees Senate Committees
Appropriations
A BILL FOR AN ACT
C
ONCERNING MEASURES TO REDUCE THE COST OF THE ACCELERATING101
STUDENTS THROUGH CONCURRENT ENROLLMENT PROGRAM ,102
AND, IN CONNECTION THEREWITH , MAKING AND REDUCING AN103
APPROPRIATION.104
Bill Summary
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced and does
not reflect any amendments that may be subsequently adopted. If this bill
passes third reading in the house of introduction, a bill summary that
applies to the reengrossed version of this bill will be available at
http://leg.colorado.gov/
.)
Joint Budget Committee. Under current law, the accelerating
students through concurrent enrollment (ASCENT) program is available
to all qualified students who are designated to participate by their local
HOUSE
3rd Reading Unamended
April 1, 2024
HOUSE
2nd Reading Unamended
March 28, 2024
HOUSE SPONSORSHIP
Bird and Taggart, Sirota, Amabile, Bradley, Brown, Frizell, Herod, Joseph, McCluskie,
Pugliese, Snyder, Young
SENATE SPONSORSHIP
Zenzinger and Kirkmeyer, Bridges
Shading denotes HOUSE amendment. Double underlining denotes SENATE amendment.
Capital letters or bold & italic numbers indicate new material to be added to existing law.
Dashes through the words or numbers indicate deletions from existing law. education provider. The bill:
! Starting in the 2025-26 state fiscal year, caps the number of
qualified students who participate in the ASCENT program
at the number of qualified students who participated in the
ASCENT program in the 2024-25 state fiscal year; and
! Creates additional eligibility requirements to participate in
the ASCENT program.
The bill requires the department of education to submit a report to
the education committees of the house and the senate and the joint budget
committee regarding the ASCENT program.
Under current law, the district's total program formula includes
funding for a district's extended high school pupil enrollment, determined
by the district's number of pupils who are concurrently enrolled in a
postsecondary course multiplied by a dollar amount that annually
increases. Starting in the 2024-25 state fiscal year, the bill amends the
district's extended high school funding formula to cap the dollar amount
that is multiplied by the district's ASCENT program students within the
district's extended high school funding formula.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:1
SECTION 1. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 22-35-108, amend2
(1)(a) introductory portion, (1)(b), (2)(a)(III), (3), and (4); and add3
(2)(a)(V), (2)(a)(VI), (2)(c), and (7) as follows:4
22-35-108. Accelerating students through concurrent5
enrollment program - objectives - non-tuition expenses - rules.6
(1) (a) There is established the accelerating students through concurrent7
enrollment program, which is available to all
qualified students who are8
designated by their enrolling local education providers pursuant to9
subsection (2)(a) of this section. The objectives of the ASCENT program10
are to:11
(b) Notwithstanding any provision of this article 35 to the12
contrary, a qualified student who is designated by a THE STUDENT'S local13
education provider to be an ASCENT program participant pursuant to14
subsection (2) of this section may concurrently enroll in postsecondary15
1393-2- courses, including academic courses and career and technical education1
courses, in the year directly following the year in which the qualified2
student was enrolled in the twelfth grade of the local education provider.3
(2) (a) A local education provider may designate a qualified4
student as an ASCENT program participant if the qualified student:5
(III) Has been accepted into a postsecondary degree program at an6
institution of higher education; and7
(V) H
AS COMPLETED AND SUBMITTED A FREE APPLICATION FOR8
FEDERAL STUDENT AID OR A COLORADO APPLICATION FOR STATE9
FINANCIAL AID; AND10
(VI) H
AS SATISFIED ANY OTHER SELECTION CRITERIA ESTABLISHED11
BY THE BOARD'S GUIDELINES, PURSUANT TO SUBSECTION (4) OF THIS12
SECTION.13
(c) F
OR THE 2025-26 STATE FISCAL YEAR, AND EACH STATE FISCAL14
YEAR THEREAFTER, THE LOCAL EDUCATION PROVIDER SHALL NOT15
DESIGNATE A TOTAL NUMBER OF ASCENT PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS THAT16
IS GREATER THAN THE TOTAL NUMBER OF ASCENT PROGRAM17
PARTICIPANTS THAT IT DESIGNATED IN THE 2024-25 STATE FISCAL YEAR.18
(3) A local education provider may include each qualified student
19
whom the local education provider designates to participate in the20
ASCENT program pursuant to this section THE LOCAL EDUCATION21
PROVIDER OF A QUALIFIED STUDENT WHO IS DESIGNATED BY THE LOCAL22
EDUCATION PROVIDER AS AN ASCENT PROGRAM PARTICIPANT MAY23
INCLUDE THE STUDENT in the district's funded pupil count, or, in the case24
of a qualified student enrolled in an institute charter school, in the funded25
pupil count of the school's accounting district, as provided in section26
22-54-103 (7).27
1393
-3- (4) The board shall establish guidelines as necessary for the1
administration of the ASCENT program,
INCLUDING SELECTION CRITERIA2
THAT THE LOCAL EDUCATION PROVIDER MAY USE TO DESIGNATE3
QUALIFIED STUDENTS AS ASCENT PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS.4
(7) O
N OR BEFORE DECEMBER 1, 2024, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL5
SUBMIT A REPORT TO THE EDUCATION COMMITTEES OF THE HOUSE OF6
REPRESENTATIVES AND THE SENATE , OR THEIR SUCCESSOR COMMITTEES,7
AND THE JOINT BUDGET COMMITTEE , CONCERNING RECOMMENDATIONS TO8
IMPROVE THE ASCENT PROGRAM. AT A MINIMUM, THE REPORT MUST9
INCLUDE:10
(a) A
SAMPLE-BASED ANALYSIS OF THE EXPENDITURES REQUIRED11
OF LOCAL EDUCATION PROVIDERS TO OFFER THE ASCENT PROGRAM,12
INCLUDING INFORMATION REGARDING THE AMOUNT PAID FOR STUDENT13
TUITION; FEES; TEXTBOOKS; TRANSPORTATION; STUDENT SUPPORT14
SERVICES, INCLUDING COUNSELING ; AND ANY OTHER EXPENDITURES15
REQUIRED OF LOCAL EDUCATION PROVIDERS FOR GENERAL OVERHEAD .16
T
HE REPORT MUST INCLUDE INFORMATION FROM A SAMPLE OF SCHOOLS17
THAT DESIGNATED ASCENT PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS DURING THE18
2023-24
BUDGET YEAR AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE DATA19
COLLECTIONS REGARDING ASCENT PROGRAM EXPENDITURES.20
(b) I
NFORMATION PROVIDED BY DISTRICTS TO THE DEPARTMENT21
REGARDING ASCENT PROGRAM SERVICES AND EXPENDITURES THAT HAVE22
THE GREATEST EFFECT; AND23
(c) R
ECOMMENDED CHANGES TO IMPROVE THE ASCENT24
PROGRAM, INCLUDING AN ESTIMATE OF HOW THE RECOMMENDATIONS25
WOULD IMPROVE OUTCOMES BASED ON THE OBJECTIVES STATED26
PURSUANT TO SUBSECTION (1)(a) OF THIS SECTION.27
1393
-4- SECTION 2. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 22-54-104, amend1
(4.7)(b); repeal (4.7)(c); and add (4.7)(d) as follows:2
22-54-104. District total program - definitions - repeal.3
(4.7) (b) (I) Subject to the provisions of paragraph (c) of this subsection4
(4.7), for FOR the 2010-11 budget year and budget years thereafter5
THROUGH THE 2023-24 BUDGET YEAR, the dollar amount set forth in6
paragraph (a) of this subsection (4.7) shall SUBSECTION (4.7)(a) OF THIS7
SECTION MUST be increased by the percentage by which the statewide base8
per pupil funding for that budget year, as specified in paragraph (a) of9
subsection (5) SUBSECTION (5)(a) of this section, is increased over the10
statewide base per pupil funding for the 2007-08 budget year, as specified11
in subparagraph (XIV) of paragraph (a) of subsection (5) SUBSECTION12
(5)(a)(XIV) of this section. The amount shall MUST be rounded to the13
nearest dollar.14
(II) T
HIS SUBSECTION (4.7)(b) IS REPEALED, EFFECTIVE JULY 1,15
2026.16
(c) In any budget year in which the provisions of subsection (5)(g)
17
of this section apply, the department of education shall calculate a18
district's reduction amount for extended high school funding by19
multiplying the budget stabilization factor calculated for the applicable20
budget year pursuant to subsection (5)(g)(II)(A) of this section by the21
amount of the district's extended high school funding calculated pursuant22
to subsection (4.7)(b) of this section for the applicable budget year. A23
district's extended high school funding for the applicable budget year24
shall be the greater of:25
(I) The district's extended high school funding calculated for the26
applicable budget year pursuant to paragraph (b) of this subsection (4.7)27
1393
-5- minus the district's reduction amount calculated for the applicable budget1
year pursuant to this paragraph (c) for extended high school funding; or2
(II) An amount equal to the base per pupil funding amount3
specified in paragraph (a) of subsection (5) of this section for the4
applicable budget year multiplied by the district's extended high school5
pupil enrollment for the applicable budget year.6
(d) F
OR THE 2024-25 BUDGET YEAR AND EACH BUDGET YEAR7
THEREAFTER, THE DOLLAR AMOUNT SET FORTH IN SUBSECTION (4.7)(a) OF8
THIS SECTION MUST BE INCREASED BY THE PERCENTAGE BY WHICH THE9
STATEWIDE BASE PER PUPIL FUNDING FOR THAT BUDGET YEAR , AS10
SPECIFIED IN SUBSECTION (5)(a) OF THIS SECTION, IS INCREASED OVER THE11
STATEWIDE BASE PER PUPIL FUNDING FOR THE 2007-08 BUDGET YEAR, AS12
SPECIFIED IN SUBSECTION (5)(a)(XIV) OF THIS SECTION; EXCEPT THAT THE13
DOLLAR AMOUNT THAT IS MULTIPLIED BY THE NUMBER OF FULL -TIME14
EQUIVALENT STUDENTS INCLUDED IN THE DISTRICT 'S EXTENDED HIGH15
SCHOOL PUPIL ENROLLMENT WHO ARE THE DISTRICT 'S ASCENT PROGRAM16
PARTICIPANTS MUST NOT INCREASE OR EXCEED THE DOLLAR AMOUNT17
DURING THE 2023-24 BUDGET YEAR. THE AMOUNT MUST BE ROUNDED TO18
THE NEAREST DOLLAR.19
SECTION 3. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 22-54-104, amend20
(4.7)(a) as follows:21
22-54-104. District total program - definitions - repeal.22
(4.7) (a) For the 2009-10
2024-25 budget year and budget years23
thereafter, a district's extended high school funding shall be determined24
in accordance with the following formula:25
(District extended high school pupil enrollment x $6,135,26
or an amount determined pursuant to paragraph (b) of this27
1393
-6- subsection (4.7) SUBSECTION (4)(d) OF THIS SECTION).1
SECTION 4. Appropriation - adjustments to 2024 long bill.2
(1) To implement this act, the cash funds appropriation from the state3
education fund created in section 17 (4)(a) of article IX of the state4
constitution made in the annual general appropriation act for the 2024-255
fiscal year to the department of education for extended high school is6
decreased by $1,081,762.7
(2) For the 2024-25 state fiscal year, $45,600 is appropriated to8
the department of education. This appropriation is from the general fund.9
To implement this act, the department may use this appropriation for an10
ASCENT program study.11
SECTION 5. Effective date. This act takes effect upon passage;12
except that section 3 of this act takes effect July 1, 2024.13
SECTION 6. Safety clause. The general assembly finds,14
determines, and declares that this act is necessary for the immediate15
preservation of the public peace, health, or safety or for appropriations for16
the support and maintenance of the departments of the state and state17
institutions.18
1393
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