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• School funding overhaul passes education committee

  April 16, 2013 4:48 AM

  An ambitious overhaul to how Colorado handles school funding has advanced another step in the state legislature. The House Education Committee voted seven to six late Monday for a sweeping overhaul. It addresses years of unequal pupil funding and a school-finance system that doesn't accommodate education reforms made in recent... more »

• Study considers longer school days for Colorado students Play Video

  December 3, 2012 8:24 PM

  When the school bell rings at Keller Elementary every afternoon, the Kiss-And-Go Lane becomes a very popular place. But should a new approach in teaching catch on locally, the afternoon pickup here might be postponed. A new grant funded initiative called Time for Innovation Matters in Education (TIME) aims... more »

• University of Nebraska president apologizes to governor over cancer research center funding

  September 18, 2012 7:02 PM

  LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - The president of the University of Nebraska is apologizing to Gov. Dave Heineman over questions about the funding of a $370 million cancer research center in Omaha. Heineman has insisted that he supported committing $50 million in state money for the project with the understanding that... more »

• School board to consider eliminating 48 positions

  March 20, 2012 8:54 PM

  Budget cuts could force Colorado Springs School District 11 to eliminate as many as four dozen full-time teaching positions next year. Under a budget proposal up for consideration by the D11 board of education, all 48 Literacy Resource Teacher positions would be eliminated as the district attempts to close an... more »

• Fort Lyon Receives Funding

  March 16, 2012 7:55 PM

  Fort Lyon is slated to receive $5 million from the mortgage settlement funds as announced this morning by the governor. The news is very welcome to the small community of Las Animas. As we've been reporting, the closure of the prison has forced some 200 employees to commute, some... more »

• Colo. school incentive program awaits more funds

  November 27, 2011 10:47 AM

  DENVER (AP) - A pilot program to improve college readiness among Colorado teens produced more high scores on students' Advanced Placement tests - and paid $69,500 to teachers as a reward. Now the National Math and Science Initiative is trying to expand the program to more Colorado schools. ... more »

• Education cuts hitting home Play Video

  November 14, 2011 6:27 PM

  Classroom in Colorado Springs School District 11 will be empty next week as employees take their two mandatory furlough days this year. Glen Gustafson, D11's chief financial office, says all of the furloughs are happening during Thanksgiving week to minimize the impact on the community. "We know that this... more »

• Mayor calls for end to DUI checkpoints Play Video

  November 9, 2011 8:48 PM

  Sobriety checkpoints may soon be a thing of the past in Colorado Springs. As part of his budget for next year, Mayor Steve Bach recommended the police department no longer use the checkpoints because they are inefficient at catching drunk drivers. The mayor says he came to the decision... more »

• CO lawmakers want lottery ticket for veterans

  November 5, 2011 12:13 PM

  DENVER (AP) - Two Colorado lawmakers plan to introduce legislation that would create a lottery ticket aimed at raising funds for veterans' services. Republican Rep. Marsha Looper and Democratic Sen. Suzanne Williams will be speaking Saturday at the state Capitol about the legislation they plan to introduce when the Legislature... more »

• Area schools eyeing more budget cuts Play Video

  November 4, 2011 12:42 AM

  It seems another, deeper round of budget cuts are on the horizon for Colorado Springs schools. On Tuesday voters across the state defeated Proposition 103, which would have raised sales and income taxes to help fund schools. District 11 CFO Glenn Gustafson says cuts in his district will be steep.... more »

• Texas volunteers test altitude fitness in Colorado

  October 9, 2011 2:40 PM

  BRECKENRIDGE, Colo. (AP) - Two dozens volunteers from Texas are running and hiking in the Colorado high country this weekend to help the University of Colorado develop a test that can identify soldiers who are vulnerable to the headaches, nausea and fatigue of altitude sickness. The Summit Daily newspaper in... more »

• Colo. school funding trial wrapping up in Denver

  September 2, 2011 8:32 PM

  DENVER (AP) - Attorneys representing Colorado in a lawsuit over how it funds education say the plaintiffs want a utopia not required by the state constitution. But lawyers representing parents and 21 school districts contended Friday that the state's method of funding education is irrational and leaves poor students at... more »

• Feds announce funding for Denver rail lines

  August 31, 2011 8:49 PM

  ARVADA, Colo. (AP) - U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has signed an agreement committing $1.03 billion in federal funds for two planned light rail lines in Denver. One line will link downtown to Denver International Airport. The other will link downtown to the northwest suburbs of Arvada and Wheat Ridge.... more »

• State seeking education grants

  May 25, 2011 11:37 PM

  DENVER (AP) - Colorado's governor says state educators have "every intention" of seeking new education grants announced Wednesday by the federal government. The $500 million grant competition announced Wednesday aims to do away with an uncoordinated system of preschool programs. Colorado and eight other states that unsuccessfully sought grants through... more »

• Lawmakers try to restore some education funding

  April 21, 2011 12:23 PM

  DENVER (AP) - Colorado House lawmakers will debate a deal that would add another $90 million to school districts that have been the target of massive cuts. Lawmakers say the proposal to be presented Thursday is possible because preliminary revenue forecasts are higher than expected. House Democratic Leader... more »

• Committee to consider Forest Service projects

  March 1, 2011 1:57 PM

  The Pike & San Isabel Resource Advisory Committee will hold a public meeting in Pueblo to evaluate projects for funding. The area of concern is Larimer, Chaffee, Huerfano and Park Counties. The public is invited to attend the meeting being held at the Supervisor's Office of the Pike and San... more »

• Not enough funds for Colo. water projects

  January 16, 2011 5:48 PM

  PUEBLO, Colo. (AP) - A report by a Denver public policy research firm says Colorado doesn't have enough money to fund a large backlog of water projects. Dick Brown of San Dollar Research says in his report that Colorado has relied on mineral severance taxes to fund water projects,... more »

• Fort Lewis College to shed 3 majors to save money

  December 11, 2010 2:41 PM

  DURANGO, Colo. (AP) - Fort Lewis College is planning to discontinue three majors by the end of the 2012-13 school year. The Board of Trustees decided Friday to cut computer science, Southwest studies and agricultural science because of a combination of high costs and low or declining enrollment numbers.... more »

• Pueblo magnet schools attracting success

  November 4, 2010 7:22 PM

  A big turnaround for a pair of schools in Pueblo. Two years ago, Fountain Elementary and Corwin Middle Schools were on the brink of failure, but today test scores are up and there's even a waiting list. An issue now, may be funding. "Their achievement was low for several years,... more »

• Colorado Springs homeless program gets reprieve

  October 1, 2010 9:53 AM

  A Colorado Springs program for the homeless in danger of shutting down due to lack of funding has bought a little more time. The Resource Advocacy Program serves homeless people suffering from substance abuse and mental health problems. It was preparing to shut down Friday if it couldn't come... more »

• Opponents gear up for Race to the Top funding

  July 30, 2010 2:08 PM

  Colorado lawmakers and educators say they plan to fight a proposal by the state Board of Education to adopt new teaching standards on Monday to compete for "Race to the Top" education funding. Educators say Colorado is already adopting its own standards that meet most of the criteria, and... more »

• Little Britches threatens to move from Pueblo

  July 22, 2010 7:27 PM

  The Little Britches Rodeo is threatening to move away from Pueblo. The rodeo moved to Pueblo from Colorado Springs five years ago and will happen next week. This summer the youth rodeo will have about 850 participants and is estimated to contribute about $2.5 million to Pueblo's economy. The... more »

• Funding for Colorado VA hospital clears committee

  July 20, 2010 3:36 PM

  A bill that includes more than $451 million toward a new Veterans Affairs hospital in Denver has been approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee. Colorado Democratic Sens. Mark Udall and Michael Bennet said Tuesday the bill has a total of $800 million for VA and military construction in the... more »

• Local district make capital funding list

  July 1, 2010 4:25 PM

  Public School Capital Construction Assistance Board recommends 46 Grants Totaling $252 Million To State Board of Education The Colorado Public School Capital Construction Assistance Board met this week to review and select cash and lease-purchase grant applications to recommend to the state board of education for award from the... more »

• Udall seeks emergency funds to manage beetle kill

  May 26, 2010 3:18 PM

  Colorado Sen. Mark Udall is seeking emergency funds to remove hazardous trees killed by bark beetles in national parks and forests. He is proposing an amendment to the Senate emergency supplemental appropriations bill that would award the U.S. Forest Service $42 million and the National Park Service $8 million.... more »

• House Democrats pad war funding bill

  May 25, 2010 2:17 PM

  Democrats controlling the House are seeking to pad President Barack Obama's war funding request with $23 billion to help school districts avoid teacher layoffs. They're also pressing for $6 billion to make up for a funding shortfall in Pell grants for low-income college students and lesser amounts to hire... more »

• Teacher bill up for vote at Colorado Capitol

  May 11, 2010 8:33 AM

  The fate of one of this year's most controversial bills of the legislative session will be decided in the final days. The House is set to vote Tuesday on a proposal to evaluate teachers based on the performance of their students. Backers say that enough Democrats will join with... more »

• Colorado lawmakers considering tuition overhaul

  April 28, 2010 5:37 PM

  College presidents and educators are telling Colorado lawmakers they need flexibility to set tuition rates if the state wants them to give up $300 million in state funding. Sen. John Morse, a Colorado Springs Democrat, says that's the only way colleges can stay open if the state cuts their... more »

• Colorado space funding in limbo

  April 13, 2010 8:24 PM

  As the 26th National Space Symposium kicks off in Colorado Springs this week, there are a lot of questions surrounding government funding... or lack of funding for space projects. "The recent budget proposal from the Obama administration proposes canceling the Constellation which is the program that was supposed to replace... more »

• Better food in schools aim of Colorado senator

  April 6, 2010 11:14 AM

  A Colorado senator is hitting a public-school cafeteria for lunch Tuesday. And Sen. Michael Bennet is bringing a federal official along for lunch to promote a bill to get healthier foods on school lunch plates. Bennet and Kevin Concannon of the U.S. Department of Agriculture are having lunch in a... more »

• P.O. Box users having Census problems

  April 6, 2010 12:22 AM

  Eddie Kinney has lived in Palmer Lake for nearly 30 years. During his daily stop at the post office he realized something was missing. "I checked with the post office about 3 weeks ago and they told me that the Census forms had come in but they had to send... more »

• Weatherizing program slow to start

  March 27, 2010 1:20 PM

  President Barack Obama's program to install weather-tight windows and doors is off to a slow start. After a year, the $5 billion program has retrofitted a fraction of the homes expected and created far fewer construction jobs than anticipated. It has retrofitted a little more than 30,000 homes, about 5... more »

• Community centers to stay open

  March 26, 2010 4:36 PM

  The Colorado Springs City Council has given preliminary approval to a funding plan for the rest of 2010 for the Deerfield Hills, Hillside, and Meadows Park community centers, Cottonwood Creek Recreation Center, Therapeutic Recreation programs for youth, and community sports programs for at-risk youth. The plan still must be... more »

• Colorado Springs gets federal grants

  March 25, 2010 10:48 AM

  The City of Colorado Springs has been awarded three federal grants totaling almost $600,000. The money will be used for projects that will help local school children walk and bicycle safely to school. Three projects will be completed with the funds: 1. S. Circle Drive Sidewalk Improvements Phase... more »

• Fort Lewis College budget proposal includes 7 layoffs

  March 25, 2010 9:55 AM

  Fort Lewis College officials have proposed layoffs and in-state tuition hikes at the Durango college to help cut $4.5 million over roughly the next two years to deal with a rollback in state funding. The proposal includes seven layoffs and a 9 percent tuition increase for in-state students to... more »