Colorado § 23-3.3-1303 - Fourth-year innovation pilot program - creation - eligibility - award of state funding - commission policies.

§ 23-3.3-1303. Fourth-year innovation pilot program - creation - eligibility - award of state funding - commission policies.

(1) (a) There is created in the department the fourth-year innovation pilot program. The purpose of the pilot program is to provide state funding to low-income students who graduate early from a high school participating in the pilot program.

(b) The pilot program is limited to local education providers or a group of providers, with the first cohort of graduates graduating early during the 2021-22 school year and the last cohort of graduates graduating early during the 2025-26 school year. A local education provider or a group of local education providers may apply to the department to participate in the pilot program; except that the commission shall not approve additional local education providers, groups of providers, or schools as pilot program participants beyond those participating in the 2023-24 school year. Prior to the 2024-25 school year, a school or local education provider approved by the department may be added to an existing group of local education providers. The commission shall select pilot program participants, including a mix of urban, suburban, and rural local education providers. In the pilot program application, the applicant or applicants shall indicate which high schools are participating in the pilot program. With approval of the charter school, a school district that is selected to participate in the pilot program may also include a charter school authorized by the school district as one of its designated high schools.

(2) The commission shall adopt any necessary policies and the department shall adopt any necessary guidelines to implement and administer the pilot program.

(3) (a) No later than July 1, 2022, and no later than July 1 each year thereafter, the local education provider of a low-income student who has graduated early during the immediately preceding budget year shall notify the department and the department of education of the student's early graduation, the name of the high school, and the graduation date. The local education provider shall notify the department and the department of education if there is a correction to the information provided pursuant to this subsection (3)(a).

(b) (I) In the annual general appropriation act enacted for the budget year that commences in July following the student's early graduation date, the general assembly shall appropriate to the fourth-year innovation pilot program fund, on behalf of each eligible graduate, an amount of money sufficient for payment of the state funding for each eligible graduate.

(II) (A) For an eligible graduate who graduates early during the 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24, or 2024-25 school year, the general assembly may appropriate to the department of education in the budget year that commences in July following the student's early graduation an amount not to exceed twenty-five percent of the average state share of the state average per-pupil revenues for the 2021-22 budget year, as calculated during the 2021 regular legislative session, for distribution to the local education provider from which the eligible graduate graduated early prior to completion of the eligible graduate's fourth year of high school. The local education provider is encouraged to direct a portion of the money received pursuant to this subsection (3)(b)(II) to high-quality career and postsecondary counseling and supports to ensure that students who may be eligible for state funding are aware of the pilot program and receive appropriate assistance in determining how to allocate state funding received pursuant to the pilot program to their intended postsecondary program.

(B) In a state fiscal year for which the amount appropriated is less than twenty-five percent of the average state share as described in subsection (3)(b)(II)(A) of this section, the department of education shall prorate the distribution to each local education provider from which an eligible graduate graduated from any money appropriated pursuant to subsection (3)(b)(II)(A) of this section.

(c) Notwithstanding any provision of this subsection (3) to the contrary, an eligible graduate is not disqualified from receiving state funding due solely to the local education provider's failure to send the required notice to the department by the deadline set forth in subsection (3)(a) of this section. The department shall request supplemental money, as necessary, to disburse state funding on behalf of all eligible graduates.

Source: L. 2021: Entire part added, (SB 21-106), ch. 486, p. 3479, § 5, effective July 7. L. 2022: (1)(b) amended, (SB 22-140), ch. 357, p. 2566, § 18, effective July 1. L. 2024: (1)(b) amended, (HB 24-1392), ch. 157, p. 699, § 1, effective August 7. L. 2026: (3)(b)(II) amended, (HB 26-1176), ch. 20, p. 97, § 1, effective March 26.

Cross references: For the legislative declaration in SB 22-140, see section 1 of chapter 357, Session Laws of Colorado 2022.