Jeffco Public Schools, along with five other school districts and two education industry organizations, has filed a lawsuit against the State of Colorado, Gov. John Hickenlooper and two others over the passage earlier this year of legislation aimed at better meeting the needs of students in foster care.
The lawsuit, which was filed in Denver District Court on Aug. 6, takes aim at a specific section of House Bill 18-1306 — otherwise entitled, “Improving Educational Stability for Foster Youth.” While the overall law was intended to provide more stability to students in foster care by allowing them to remain in their home schools regardless of where their foster homes are, additional language affecting overall transportation between all Colorado school districts was added to the bill and passed in the final days of the 2018 legislative session without public discussion or debate.
While concerns have been raised over how the clause could affect student enrollment and therefore how much funding individual districts would consequently receive from the state, most of the lawsuit’s plaintiffs are suing over the process and manner by which the law was enacted, and not the content.
“I had been tracking this as the legislative session wrapped up and I was really outraged about the addition of this amendment, which I think — as is evidenced by our inclusion on the lawsuit — violates the state constitution,” said Jeffco Superintendent Jason Glass, who has also joined the lawsuit as an individual. “I think it’s undemocratic how it was added. Our elected officials are sworn to uphold the constitution and this is part of it.”
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