- Contact: Kashia Davis, Outreach Director
- Email: Kashia@CHEC.org
- Phone: 303-358-7918 | CHEC Office: 720-842-4852
by Kashia Davis, CHEC Outreach Director
On Monday, March 23, the Joint Budget Committee (JBC), while addressing a $1.5 billion state budget deficit, examined approximately $100 million in spending on publicly funded homeschool enrichment programs.
The committee ultimately voted 5–0 to move for legislation to be drafted that would limit funding based on instructional hours and recommended that the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) establish clearer rules defining what qualifies for funding.
The overall tone was one of concern that the CDE has failed to sufficiently regulate funds used for government-funded homeschool enrichment programs. Senator Bridges stated, “I can’t justify paying two times per hour for these kids who are not full-time public school.” Representative Sirota expressed concern about the scale of spending, calling the $100 million “staggering” and saying that she was“shocked at how out of control this is.”
The focused attention on stripping funds from these homeschool enrichment programs is ironic, given the lack of attention given to dealing with the issue of the ballooning cost of failing public schools. However, the JBC’s perspective and attitude toward government-funded homeschool enrichment programs illustrates a very important reality — what the government funds, the government will regulate and control.
Lauren Gideon, Director of Government Relations for Classical Conversations, says, “Ownership is an extraordinary blessing because it is the bedrock of opportunity. It gives families the dignity of directing, building, and stewarding their children’s education according to convictions and care. But ownership can not be partial. If we seek full ownership rights, we must also accept the full responsibilities of ownership, including financial responsibility.”
We couldn’t agree more. The most concerning thing about this hearing was that the legislators seemed aghast at the lack of regulations. Senator Kirkmeyer urged, “The state board should be giving a definition to what instructional hours actually means.” The report given by staff member Andrea Uhl was replete with questions, such as whether these homeschool groups are subject to “state coursework and standards” and whether they need “credentialed providers.”
And that is why for decades, Christian Home Educators of Colorado has advocated for privately funded home education, free from government regulation and control. In other words, complete ownership of your homeschooling. As a result, Colorado has been home to a strong and thriving homeschool community built on parent-directed, privately funded education.
Hundreds of thousands of homeschooled students have flourished under this freedom-rich model of education. Families have successfully educated their children across every income level, at a fraction of the cost of publicly funded programs.
Our mission is to help families find success apart from government control. This independence is foundational to homeschool freedom.
History has consistently shown that when government funding increases, so does government control. So this move to reduce funding and increase regulations is not surprising to us.
To the families who are impacted, we want to offer encouragement: you are not alone. Across Colorado, there are privately funded co-ops, enrichment programs, and local communities ready to come alongside you. The strength of homeschooling has never been in programs. It has always been in parents.
At CHEC, we remain committed to defending your family’s freedom and helping you homeschool with confidence. We believe you can do it, free from unnecessary government influence and grounded in the freedom to choose what is best for your children.
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