Colorado Lawmakers Target Home-School Enrichment Programs
Colorado lawmakers are taking steps to address the rapid expansion of publicly funded home-school enrichment programs. These programs, which include sports camps and martial arts lessons, have sparked debate over their costs and effectiveness. In response, the powerful six-member Joint Budget Committee has unanimously agreed to draft a bill aimed at curbing the influence of one particular public education co-op.
The co-op in question, Education reEnvisioned Board of Cooperative Education Services (ERBOCES), based in Monument, has authorized numerous home-school enrichment programs across Colorado. The proposed legislation would limit the geographical reach of such co-ops, allowing them to authorize programs only within their member school districts. For ERBOCES, which has two member districts, this could significantly reduce the flow of public funds to programs outside its immediate area.
Statewide, approximately 19,000 students participate in part-time public school programming, costing more than $100 million annually. Most of these students are home-schooled and attend one day of enrichment classes per week at traditional public schools, charter schools, or through ERBOCES programs.
ERBOCES authorizes over 50 home-school enrichment programs, many of which operate outside its two member districts. Last summer, it also authorized a controversial “public Christian school” outside its member districts. The co-op’s programs are run by private contractors and include state-funded offerings that critics argue are essentially extracurricular activities, such as horsemanship, taekwondo, and golf. One ERBOCES contractor even advertises skiing, swim lessons, and canyoneering trips.
Colorado provides generous funding for homeschool enrichment, but changes may be on the horizon. The proposed bill would not address all lawmakers’ concerns about the growing footprint and cost of these programs, but it would target the group they see as the biggest offender in exploiting loopholes in state law.
While the Joint Budget Committee agreed to rein in ERBOCES, they did not finalize the timetable for new restrictions. Some members suggested preventing home-school enrichment programs outside ERBOCES’ two member districts from accessing public funding before the 2026-27 school year. Others, including Rep. Rick Taggart, a Republican from Grand Junction, advocated for a six-month grace period to avoid disrupting families who have already enrolled their children.
Ken Witt, executive director of ERBOCES, expressed similar concerns in an email, stating that if these programs are cut long after families have made enrollment decisions, they may struggle to find alternatives. He emphasized the need for thoughtful engagement with stakeholders, which has not yet occurred.
Lawmakers and legislative staff noted that allowing ERBOCES to continue its current programs for the first semester next year might not work due to how enrollment is tallied and funding is distributed. The Joint Budget Committee has started the bill-drafting process and will decide on timing details in the coming weeks.
It remains unclear how many of ERBOCES’ home-school enrichment programs are based outside its member districts, but under the proposed bill, dozens may lose public funding or need to seek authorization from their local school district or BOCES to continue receiving it. ERBOCES’ website contains only a partial list of its enrichment programs, and the co-op’s staff declined to provide the full list.
For now, the Joint Budget Committee has paused efforts to reduce state funding for home-school enrichment programs. Currently, the state pays half the full-time public school student rate for each home-school enrichment student—about $6,000—even though these students typically attend only a quarter of the hours.
Both home-school parents and school districts have pushed back against potential funding cuts in recent weeks. School districts benefit from the more generous funding for the programs they authorize. Lawmakers on the Joint Budget Committee indicated they may revisit the funding cut proposal and expressed frustration over resistance from school district leaders.
Sen. Jeff Bridges, a Democrat from Greenwood Village, questioned how district leaders can explain to parents of full-time public school students that they’re paying twice as much per hour for home-schooled students in enrichment programming. He asked, “How do they justify that to their parents? Number two, how do they expect us to justify to the people of Colorado that we’re paying for ski tickets?”
