SB26-103 • 2026

At-Risk Public School Program & Public School Accountability

The bill requires school districts and charter schools to adopt a policy that directs additional resources and supports toward at-risk public school students. The policy may implement the utilization

Education Healthcare Taxes

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Sen. C. Kolker, Sen. J. Marchman, Rep. J. Bacon, Rep. M. Lukens, Sen. A. Benavidez, Sen. J. Coleman, Sen. L. Cutter, Sen. T. Exum, Sen. J. Gonzales, Sen. N. Hinrichsen, Sen. I. Jodeh, Sen. C. Kipp, Sen. M. Snyder, Sen. T. Sullivan, Sen. K. Wallace, Sen. M. Weissman
Last action: 2026-04-09
Official status: Introduced In House - Assigned to Education
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The effectiveness of community-focused programs in improving student outcomes has not been fully evaluated, but this is a candidate statement rather than an official source claim.

At-Risk Public School Student Support Policy

The bill requires school districts and charter schools to adopt policies directing additional resources and support towards at-risk public school students, including partnerships with community organizations for health clinics, legal services, college opportunities, wraparound services, after-school programs, tutoring services, and family engagement strategies.

What This Bill Does

Requires school districts and charter schools to adopt a policy directing additional resources and supports toward at-risk public school students by July 1, 2027.
Allows the policy to include partnerships with community organizations for health clinics, legal services, and college opportunities.
Incorporates integrated student support and wraparound services informed by an asset and needs assessment, including increasing counselors and mental health professionals.
Includes extended learning time through after-school tutoring programs and summer activities.
Supports family and community engagement strategies that reflect cultural and linguistic diversity.

Who It Names or Affects

School districts
Charter schools
At-risk public school students

Terms To Know

Wraparound services: A range of support services provided to help at-risk students and their families.
Community-focused programs: Programs that involve community organizations to provide additional resources and support for students.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify the exact nature of family engagement strategies beyond reflecting cultural and linguistic diversity.
It is unclear how the funding will be allocated or sourced for these new policies.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

L.002

SEN Education

Passed [*]

Plain English: The amendment removes the word 'ADDITIONAL' from a specific part of the bill.

Removes the word 'ADDITIONAL' from page 3, line 15 of the printed bill.

It is unclear what impact removing just the word 'ADDITIONAL' will have on the overall meaning and implementation of the policy.

L.003

SEN Education

Passed [*]

Plain English: The amendment changes references to 'community school framework' and 'community school strategies' in the bill to 'evidence-based, comprehensive interventions, like the community school model,'

Changes the phrase 'the community school framework' to 'evidence-based, comprehensive interventions, like the community school model,' on page 2, line 15.
Replaces 'community school strategies' with 'evidence-based, comprehensive interventions, like the community school model,' on page 3, line 1.

The amendment does not provide further details about what constitutes evidence-based, comprehensive interventions beyond mentioning the community school model as an example.

L.004

SEN Education

Passed [*]

Plain English: The amendment allows certain types of schools participating in specific improvement plans to meet the new requirements without needing additional policies.

Schools that are part of an institute charter school, district charter school, or a local board of education's non-district charter school and are already involved in performance, improvement, priority improvement, or turnaround plans will be considered as meeting the new policy requirements.
These schools must post their existing plan on their website to show they meet the new requirements.

The exact details of what qualifies as a 'performance, improvement, priority improvement, or turnaround plan' are not provided in the amendment text and may require further research.
It is unclear how this will affect schools that do not already have such plans in place.

L.005

SEN Education

Passed [*]

Plain English: The amendment removes specific sections from the bill related to at-risk public school students and renumbers subsequent parts of the bill.

Removes lines 11 through 27 on page 4 of the printed bill.
Eliminates all content on page 5 of the printed bill.
Deletes lines 1 through 9 on page 6 of the printed bill.
Reorganizes and renumbers the remaining sections of the bill.

The exact details removed from the bill are not provided in the amendment text, making it unclear what specific content was deleted.

Bill History

2026-04-09 House
Introduced In House - Assigned to Education
2026-04-08 Senate
Senate Third Reading Passed - No Amendments
2026-04-07 Senate
Senate Second Reading Passed with Amendments - Committee
2026-04-01 Senate
Senate Committee on Education Refer Amended to Senate Committee of the Whole
2026-03-18 Senate
Senate Committee on Education Lay Over Unamended - Amendment(s) Failed
2026-02-11 Senate
Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Education

Official Summary Text

The bill requires school districts and charter schools to adopt a policy that directs
additional
resources and supports toward at-risk public school students. The policy may implement the utilization of community-school-based learning programs, as well as wraparound services, after-school programs, and tutoring services, among other community-focused programs.

An institute charter school, district charter school, and school of a local board of education that is participating in a performance, improvement, priority improvement, or turnaround plan, which plan directs resources and supports to at-risk students, is deemed to have satisfied the policy's requirements and shall post the plan on the school or school district's website.

Subdivision regulations adopted by a board of county commissioners must include land set aside for public schools of a school district.
(Note: Italicized words indicate new material added to the original summary; dashes through words indicate deletions from the original summary.)
(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

Second Regular Session
Seventy-fifth General Assembly
STATE OF COLORADO
REENGROSSED
This Version Includes All Amendments
Adopted in the House of Introduction
LLS NO. 26-0408.02 Owen Hatch x2698 SENATE BILL 26-103
Senate Committees House Committees
Education
A BILL FOR AN ACT
CONCERNING PUBLIC SCHOOLS , AND , IN CONNECTION THEREWITH ,101
CREATING A SPECIALIZED SCHOOL POLICY FOR AT -RISK102
STUDENTS.103
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.)
The bill requires school districts and charter school s to a dopt a
policy that directs additional resources and supports toward at-risk public
school students. The policy may implement the utilization of
community-school-based learning programs, as well as wraparound
services, after-school programs, and tutoring services, among other
SENATE
3rd Reading Unamended
April 8, 2026
SENATE
Amended 2nd Reading
April 7, 2026
SENATE SPONSORSHIP
Kolker and Marchman, Benavidez, Coleman, Cutter, Exum, Gonzales J., Hinrichsen,
Jodeh, Kipp, Snyder, Sullivan, Wallace, Weissman
HOUSE SPONSORSHIP
Bacon and Lukens,
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.
community-focused programs.
Subdivision regulations adopted by a board of county
commissioners must include land set aside for public schools of a school
district.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:1
SECTION 1. Legislative declaration. (1) The general assembly2
finds and declares that:3
(a) Colorado law recognizes community schools as4
evidence-based, democratic public-school models that integrate5
academics, family engagement, health services, and community6
partnerships;7
(b) Under current law, the community school model appears8
primarily as a last-resort accountability intervention, becoming available9
after schools have entered priority improvement or turnaround status;10
(c) Due to systemic inequities, the needs of Black, Latino, and11
low-income students are unmet far more often and far earlier than12
accountability systems recognize;13
(d) The state must be proactive in allowing schools and families14
to adopt evidence-based, comprehensive interventions, like the15
community school model, before crisis emerges, thereby strengthening16
public schools and ensuring all students have access to high-quality17
schools; and18
(e) School district contracting and metro-district land gifts have19
enabled privatization that diverts public education dollars and governance20
to private parties. These gaps must be addressed to preserve transparency,21
oversight, and equity.22
(2) This act establishes early pathways for schools to adopt proven23
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evidence-based, comprehensive interventions, like the community school1
model, and supports equitable school success across Colorado.2
SECTION 2. In Colorado Revised Statutes, add 22-32.5-112 as3
follows:4
22-32.5-112. Achieving community commitment to equitable5
school success policy - required - definition.6
(1) AS USED IN THIS SECTION , UNLESS THE CONTEXT OTHERWISE7
REQUIRES, "ACCESS POLICY" OR "POLICY" MEANS A POLICY DESCRIBED8
IN SUBSECTION (2) OF THIS SECTION.9
(2) (a) O N OR BEFORE JULY 1, 2027, EACH INSTITUTE CHARTER10
SCHOOL, DISTRICT CHARTER SCHOOL, AND LOCAL BOARD OF EDUCATION,11
FOR ITS SCHOOLS THAT ARE NOT DISTRICT CHARTER SCHOOLS , SHALL12
ADOPT AND IMPLEMENT AN ACHIEVING COMMUNITY COMMITMENT TO13
EQUITABLE SCHOOL SUCCESS POLICY , TO BE KNOWN AS AN ACCESS14
POLICY, T H A T D I R E C T S RESOURCES AND SUPPORTS TO AT -RISK15
STUDENTS, AND SHALL POST THE POLICY ON THE SCHOOL 'S OR SCHOOL16
DISTRICT'S WEBSITE.17
(b) THE POLICY MAY INCLUDE:18
(I) PARTNERSHIPS WITH COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS TO INCREASE19
ACCESS TO HEALTH CLINICS , LEGAL SERVICES , AND COLLEGE20
OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS AND THE COMMUNITY;21
(II) INTEGRATED STUDENT SUPPORT AND WRAPAROUND SERVICES22
INFORMED BY THE ASSET AND NEEDS ASSESSMENT DESCRIBED IN SECTION23
22-32.5-103 (1.5)(a), INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO , INCREASING24
COUNSELORS , CASEWORKERS , AND OTHER MENTAL HEALTH25
PROFESSIONALS;26
(III) EXTENDED LEARNING TIME WITH AFTER-SCHOOL, TUTORING,27
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AND OTHER SUMMER PROGRAMS;1
(IV) S TRATEGIES TO SUPPORT TEACHER RETENTION AND PAY ,2
INCLUDING INCREASING PLANNING TIME AND OPPORTUNITIES TO3
COLLABORATE MEANINGFULLY WITH COLLEAGUES AND FUNDING4
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ADVANCEMENT OPPORTUNITIES;5
(V) F AMILY AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT STRATEGIES THAT6
REFLECT CULTURAL AND LINGUISTIC DIVERSITY , INCLUDING BILINGUAL7
AND DUAL-LANGUAGE SUPPORTS, TRANSLATORS, AND FAMILY LIAISONS;8
AND9
(VI) THE AT-RISK MEASURE DESCRIBED IN SECTION 22-54-104.6.10
(c) AN INSTITUTE CHARTER SCHOOL, DISTRICT CHARTER SCHOOL,11
AND A SCHOOL OF A LOCAL BOARD OF EDUCATION THAT IS NOT A DISTRICT12
CHARTER SCHOOL THAT IS PARTICIPATING IN A PERFORMANCE ,13
IMPROVEMENT, PRIORITY IMPROVEMENT , OR TURNAROUND PLAN14
PURSUANT TO SECTION 22-11-210, WHICH PLAN DIRECTS RESOURCES AND15
SUPPORTS TO AT -RISK STUDENTS , IS DEEMED TO SATISFY THE16
REQUIREMENTS OF SUBSECTION (2)(a) OF THIS SECTION, AND SHALL POST17
THE PLAN ON THE SCHOOL OR SCHOOL DISTRICT'S WEBSITE.18
19
SECTION 3. Safety clause. The general assembly finds,20
determines, and declares that this act is necessary for the immediate21
preservation of the public peace, health, or safety or for appropriations for22
the support and maintenance of the departments of the state and state23
institutions.24
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