FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Teach Plus Colorado Applauds Governor Polis’ Commitment to Fully Funding K-12 Education in FY 2026-27 Budget
Denver, CO, November 12, 2025—Teach Plus Colorado today issued this statement following the release of Governor Jared Polis’ FY 2026-27 budget proposal:
Teach Plus and Teach Plus teacher leaders applaud Governor Polis for keeping his promise to Colorado’s students and teachers. His FY 2026-27 budget protects the state’s commitment to fully funding education by delivering a $50 million General Fund increase for K-12 schools.
“This budget shows what it means to prioritize students even when times are tough,” said Dr. Jamita Horton, Executive Director of Teach Plus Colorado. “Governor Polis is making the hard choices necessary to protect education funding, including a General Fund increase for our schools. While we still have a way to go to fully fund our schools, this is an important first step that matters for every child across the state. As the Joint Budget Committee and the legislature consider this budget proposal, I urge lawmakers to stand with Governor Polis in protecting K-12 education funding.”
Teach Plus Colorado is particularly encouraged by the budget’s 30% funding increase, which Teach Plus advocated for and which enables implementation of the new school finance formula. The plan also invests $14.5 million from the State Education Fund into categorical programs, including a $10.1 million boost for special education, expanded funding for English language proficiency to support multilingual learners, and enhanced funding for career and technical education. These targeted allocations advance Teach Plus’s priority of expanding access to the Big Three—in‑demand industry credentials, college credit, and work‑based learning—while strengthening student opportunities and promoting economic mobility and long‑term success.
“Our students deserve nothing less than our unwavering commitment to their education and this budget puts us on the path to do exactly that,” said Dr. Horton.
About Teach Plus
The mission of Teach Plus is to empower excellent, experienced, and diverse teachers to take leadership over key policy and practice issues that affect their students’ success. Since 2009, Teach Plus has developed thousands of teacher leaders across the country to exercise their leadership in shaping education policy and improving teaching and learning for students. teachplus.org/co
