I_OMLM_2024A 12/04/2024 10:02:24 AM Committee Summary

PUBLIC
STAFF SUMMARY OF MEETING
INTERIM COMMITTEE OVERRIDE MILL LEVY MATCH WORKING GROUP

Date

12/04/2024

Attendance
Jeremy Burmeister	X
Brandan Comfort	E
Aaron Dobson	X
Brett Johnson	X
Brett Ridgway	X
Jana Schleusner	X
Ashley Stephen	X
Baisley	E
Martinez	X

Time

10:02:24 AM to 11:44:57 AM

Place

SCR 357

This Meeting was called to order by

Martinez

This Report was prepared by

Rachel Kurtz-Phelan

Hearing Items	Action Taken
hDiscussion of Proposed Scenarios	Committee Discussion Only
hConsideration of Working Group Recommendations	Committee Discussion Only

Discussion of Proposed Scenarios - Committee Discussion Only

Attachment Tag

File Name

Attachment A

Attachment B

Attachment C

Attachment D

Attachment E

10:02:34 AM

Chair Martinez explained
the day's agenda. Marc Carey, Legislative Council Staff (LCS), explained
that the working group would be discussing six proposed scenarios for the
Mill Levy Override (MLO) Match Program going forward. Thomas Rosa, LCS,
began his presentation on the proposed scenarios, which can be found as
Attachment A. He reviewed each scenario option one by one. Staff distributed
several additional handouts (Attachments B, C, D, and E).

10:13:01 AM

The working group
members made comments on the various options presented and requested
an additional option that utilized the alternative model discussed at the
prior meeting for rural and small rural districts and the existing model
for all nonrural districts, which they called option 9.

Consideration of Working Group Recommendations - Committee Discussion Only


	10:30:53 AM	The working group took a brief recess.
	10:37:08 AM	The working group came back to order. Mr. Rosa provided an overview of a new option nine. The members reviewed option nine and provided comments.
	10:49:58 AM	The working group decided to only focus on option nine going forward. They discussed dropping the floor of the current model to a range of 10 to 35 instead of 15 to 35. Mr. Rosa ran several different scenarios for the members under option nine.
	11:01:54 AM	The members continued to discuss how to structure the formula under option nine.
	11:31:49 AM	The working group discussed adding a recommendation to the group's final report requiring the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) to provide an annual review of the program to the House and Senate Education committees during the annual SMART Act meeting for the prior year's program and payments.
	11:37:37 AM	Andrea Uhl, Joint Budget Committee Staff, recommended that the working group include a recommendation that CDE notify the JBC during its supplemental budget submission each year what the actual MLO program payments will be so that the JBC can adjust appropriations accordingly.
	11:42:18 AM	The working group passed three recommendations to include in the group's final report to the Executive Committee. The first recommendation, which passed without objection, is to recommend option nine for the formula, as outlined by LCS staff, for a total cost of $27.8 million. This option includes the following: rural and small rural district allocations will be determined by a version of an alternative model, which identifies a benchmark of $200 per pupil per mill and distributes a minimum of $200,000 to eligible districts. Non-rural district allocations will be determined by the existing model, with a $3.0 million maximum allocation, and a range of 10 to 35 mills for eligibility. Should the appropriation for the program be less than the total cost, only the allocation for non-rural districts will be scaled back proportionally.
	11:43:04 AM	The second recommendation, passed without objection, is to require CDE to report on the MLO Match program to the House and Senate Education Committees during the annual SMART Act meeting. Finally, the third recommendation, also passed without objection, is to requiree CDE to report to the JBC on the actual valuation of the program every year.

11:44:57 AM

The committee adjourned.

Discussion of Proposed Scenarios - Committee Discussion Only

Consideration of Working Group Recommendations - Committee Discussion Only

Colorado General Assembly