JBC asks for RFI into online school enrollment, low testing participation and costs

The Joint Budget Committee voted unanimously to request additional information about online schools’ enrollment, assessment participation and costs after staff flagged a large performance‑data gap.

Miss Bickel told the committee that many online schools have low assessment participation and limited data: she cited a participation figure of about 23% in online schools versus roughly 91% statewide for brick‑and‑mortar schools. Staff said nearly half of online schools lack sufficient data to draw conclusions about academic performance. Committee members said learning more about postsecondary outcomes and cost structures is critical before adjusting funding.

Staff also explained the Colorado Empowered Learning arrangement: a statewide service provided via BOCES that offers courses at a fixed rate (state share plus district per‑student costs), and noted the per‑course and per‑student cost comparisons that can leave districts paying substantially more for some online models. The committee authorized staff to draft and return an RFI to drill into participation, provider payments, district costs and post‑secondary outcomes for students in fully online programs.