PROGRAM: Colorado’s Legislature is Back in Session
Colorado State Representative Tim Leonard, District 25
Tim.leonard.house@state.co.us
Tim Leonard joined us to tell us about his responsibilities as our Colorado State Representative. He is a member of the Education, State Affairs, Audit, Veterans and Military Affairs Committees. Tim told us that our state budget increases steadily year over year, that most money issues involve how to apportion funds rather than how much is available. Colorado’s State Budget is ever increasing: from 15 billion to 27 billion from 2006-2016. Our budget increased 1 billion a year on average over the last 20 years.
Education, Health Care policy and higher education are the largest areas of increase. For K-12, the state aid and local funding continues to rise from $1500 to over $6000/pupil. Local money provides 1/3 of the cost. Colorado has 900,000 pupils; private schools and home school student numbers are about 35,000. Tim informed us about the ongoing quest for the best measure of success for evaluating the costs of education.
There is a new perspective that vocational training is a viable alternative for students who are better suited for a career in the skilled trades.
Announcements/Business:
- The Club Board meeting will be January 22, 2018, 6pm at The Well at Bradford Junction.
- Please visit the businesses that have Coupon Books, collect their money for book sales and restock their inventories.
- The Interact Club has the Warren Miller Fundraiser this Friday at Wild Game in Evergreen.
- The Interact Sasa Harambee Fundraiser Dinner is on January 27 at Our Lady of the Pines. Tickets are available online HERE.
- Thanks to Kim Kaiser, Fitness and Sports, for her donation to the Back Pack Project.
- Conifer Area Council requests that all 285 Corridor residents to fill out the community survey, click HERE for the survey.
- Suzanne shared the news articles that she put into the Canyon Courier about Conifer Rotary fund donations to the community and the Interact Club news.