Colorado Governor Jared Polis has signed a bill into law that allocates $24 million to schools in the state to support the influx of new migrant students. The legislation, known as House Bill 24-1389, aims to provide one-time funding to school districts to assist with the education of “new arrival students” who have recently moved to Colorado from another country.
New arrival students are defined as those who have been in the United States for less than one year, are not proficient in English, and whose enrollment in a Colorado public school marks their first school enrollment in the country. The bill comes as schools across the state face challenges due to an increase in migrant student enrollment, leading to overcrowded classrooms and stretched resources.
The bipartisan bill passed with overwhelming support in both the House and the Senate, with Governor Polis emphasizing the importance of ensuring that school districts have the necessary funding to educate all students effectively. The funding is seen as critical amid the current migrant situation, which has put strain on existing school infrastructure and staffing.
Denver’s public school system, for example, has reported a significant influx of new students, estimating a cost of over $837,000 to provide support throughout its system. With over 3,000 new-to-country students enrolled between July 2023 and January 2024, schools are facing the challenge of addressing language barriers, cultural adjustments, and varying academic backgrounds among these students.
Under the terms of the bill, each school district requesting funding will receive an amount based on the number of new arrivals, ranging from $15,000 for one to five new arrivals to $750,000 for 500 or more. Additionally, each school district or charter school will receive $4,500 for each student in the net population or the total new arrival student population, whichever is lesser.
If the funding runs out, the Department of Education is required to proportionally reduce the $4,500 per student allocation. The bill aims to provide specialized resources and support services to help new arrival students overcome the unique challenges they face in adapting to their new school environment.
In light of the significant increase in new arrival students, the allocation of $24 million is expected to provide much-needed assistance to schools across Colorado as they work to accommodate and support migrant students in their educational journey.