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HB 1428

Administration of Publicly Funded Education Programs

2026 Regular Session

HB 26-1428 creates a formal framework for reporting and overseeing online and part-time enrichment education funded publicly, boosting transparency and data-driven accountability.

Governor Signed
#education&schoolfinance(pre&k-12)
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Bill Summary · HB 1428

Summary of HB 26-1428 (2026A) – Administration of Publicly Funded Education Programs (Colorado)

Purpose and intent

  • The bill aims to improve how publicly funded education programs are administered for students who are not full-time in-person learners.
  • It focuses on:
    • online and part-time enrichment offerings
    • oversight and reporting related to online schools, online programs, and supplemental online courses
    • potential extension of the current designation period for the statewide online and blended learning program administered by a Board of Cooperative Services (BOCES)

Key provisions

1) Creation of a new online-part-time enrichment framework

  • Adds new statutory definitions and a dedicated reporting requirement under 22-1-151:
    • Clarifies terms such as in-person school, local education provider, online school/program, single-district/multidistrict online schools, and supplemental programs.
    • Requires the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) to submit a comprehensive report to the Joint Budget Committee by November 1, 2026, on single-district and multi-district online schools and part-time enrichment programs.

2) Contents of the online education report

The report must cover, for online schools/programs/supplemental programs offered by in-person schools:
- Descriptions of instructional and financial models used to provide course credit (full-time, part-time, supplemental coursework, concurrent enrollment).
- Data on student numbers and the share of students receiving online instruction through online schools/programs/supplemental programs offered by in-person schools.
- Common delivery methods (synchronous vs. asynchronous).
- Typical contractual and financial arrangements for course delivery.
- Academic quality and student performance, with comparisons to the broader student population where data is available. This may include:
- state assessments participation and accountability metrics
- student persistence
- postsecondary outcomes (e.g., matriculation to four-year institutions)
- student-to-teacher ratios in online settings
- Options and recommendations for data collection enhancements to improve visibility and oversight.
- Fiscal analyses comparing state payments for these online offerings with actual costs, noting any significant expenditure differences by program type.
- Options and recommendations for oversight structures that balance operational realities of online education with high-quality outcomes and address disparities between program expenditures and per-pupil state payments.

3) Part-time enrichment programs reporting

  • The report must describe and categorize types of part-time enrichment offerings, delivery methods, and indicate which types are most common.
  • Assess whether activities are for full-time on-campus students or separate for part-time participants.
  • Determine alignment with state standards and compare funded seat time to actual seat time; if data gaps prevent full analysis, provide reasonable estimates and data-improvement options.
  • Include options/recommendations to curb costs and improve oversight to ensure appropriate use of public resources.
  • Address whether the same programs are available to full-time, on-campus students at no cost.

4) Data access and provider obligations

  • The department may access existing data and collect additional data as needed to fulfill reporting requirements.
  • Local education providers must provide accurate survey responses, contracts, and other financial documentation related to online education and part-time enrichment programs, as requested by the CDE.

5) Repeal and extension provisions

  • The section governing the statewide supplemental online and blended learning program (22-5-119) is amended to:
    • Allow the administering BOCES’ current designation to be extended for up to two additional years before initiating a new 5-year designation.
    • This extension authority is repealed effective July 1, 2028.
  • The bill also requires the department to use student-identification numbers and other student-level data for evaluation purposes, as requested.

6) Effective dates and repeal timing

  • The new Part-time Enrichment Online Education provisions (22-1-151) become effective upon passage, with the reporting deadline by November 1, 2026.
  • The extended BOCES designation authority provisions under 22-5-119 are in effect immediately upon enactment but require repeal by July 1, 2028.

Who is affected

  • Colorado Department of Education (CDE): responsible for creating and submitting the mandated reports, data collection, and oversight considerations.
  • Local Education Providers (LEPs): must provide accurate responses, contracts, and financial documentation related to online and part-time enrichment programs.
  • Students: those enrolled in online schools, online programs, and part-time enrichment activities in relation to public-funded education.
  • The Joint Budget Committee: receives the mandated report and may use it for budget planning and oversight.
  • The administering BOCES: potential extension of designation period if the bill’s extension provisions are utilized.

Procedural and timeline notes

  • November 1, 2026: Deadline for the CDE to submit the online schools/part-time enrichment programs report to the Joint Budget Committee.
  • July 1, 2027 (and July 1, 2028 for the extension provision): Repeal or sunset-related timing for the extension authority tied to the statewide online and blended learning program.
  • The section establishing 22-1-151 repeals at a later date (as part of ongoing legislative workflow) as specified in the bill.

Overall impact

HB 26-1428 seeks to enhance transparency, data-driven oversight, and fiscal accountability for online and part-time enrichment education options funded with public dollars. It creates a formal reporting framework, clarifies definitions, and provides a potential temporary extension mechanism for the current statewide online program while laying out data collection and performance metrics to evaluate outcomes and inform future funding and governance structures.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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