Concerning phasing out the teacher recruitment education and preparation program, and, in connection therewith, making and reducing an appropriation.
Summary
House Bill 26-1357 phases out Colorado’s Teacher Recruitment Education and Preparation (TREP) program. The bill stops the Department of Education from designating any new TREP participants beginning in the 2026-27 state fiscal year, while allowing students already designated for 2025-26 or earlier to continue in the program. The TREP section of law is then repealed effective July 1, 2027, and related references to the program are removed from multiple education statutes.
The bill also changes how TREP participants are funded during the wind-down year. For 2026-27, it caps the per-student amount used in school finance formulas at $7,104, and it adjusts appropriations and footnotes in the education budget to reflect the reduced funding level. Several provisions tied to concurrent enrollment, charter school at-risk aid, district extended high school enrollment, sustain funding, and public information about alternative teacher pathways are amended or repealed to remove TREP-specific references once the phaseout takes effect.
Impact
The bill amends and repeals provisions in Title 22 of the Colorado Revised Statutes that currently define, fund, and reference the TREP program. It affects school finance formulas, charter school at-risk supplemental aid calculations, district extended high school enrollment definitions, concurrent enrollment administration, and school counseling/ICAP disclosure requirements. In practical terms, it ends new TREP participation, reduces associated state funding, and cleans up statutory references across the education code after the program sunsets.
Sentiment
The available context suggests the bill was treated as a budget and program-termination measure rather than a highly contested policy change. It moved through the Appropriations process and was ultimately signed by the Governor, which indicates sufficient legislative support for the phaseout and the related funding reductions. No committee transcripts or recorded votes were provided, so there is no evidence in the record supplied here of organized opposition or strong floor debate.
Contention
The main point of contention implied by the bill is whether Colorado should continue TREP at all, since the measure eliminates new participants and repeals the program after a transition period. Another likely issue is the reduced per-student funding level for the final year, which may concern districts or students relying on the program. The bill also removes TREP references from several education statutes, which could affect how teacher pathway information is presented to students and parents, but no specific objections from legislators or stakeholders are included in the provided materials.