§ 22-105-102 — Legislative declaration

(1) The general assembly finds that:

(a) Colorado has more schools on a four-day school week than any other
state in the country;

(b) One hundred eleven of Colorado's one hundred seventy-eight school
districts are on a four-day school week, representing more than eighty thousand
children;

(c) Many school districts made the decision to move to a four-day school
week to address budget concerns and recognize the need for additional state
support and investment in kindergarten-through-twelfth-grade funding in order to
move toward a return to a five-day school week;

(d) However, there is little research on the benefits or costs of a four-day
school week to children and learning;

(e) Frequently, without supplemental enrichment programming and while at
home without parents often for more than ten hours at a time, many children are
tasked with taking care of siblings and many go without well-balanced meals or
snacks during that time;

(f) Further, low-income parents and parents who do not have a flexible work
schedule or time off from work spend time in the workday worrying about children
at home, with little ability to provide or pay for supervision when children are not in
school during the workweek; and

(g) While school districts are operating on a four-day school week,
supplemental enrichment programming and related enrichment activities can help
provide students with the supports they need.

(2) Therefore, the general assembly declares that supporting community-based nonprofit organizations and eligible rural school districts in providing
supplemental enrichment programming through fifth-day academic enrichment and
support programs will help ensure that declines in learning are minimized and that
children are in a safe, supportive, and academically enriching environment when not
at school on the fifth day of a four-day school week.

Legislative History

Source: L. 2021: Entire article added, (HB 21-1006), ch. 382, p. 2555, � 1, effective June 30.