Classes are cancelled for Summit School District March 20 as the district takes a stand in backing teachers who plan to head the capitol to advocate for better education funding.

Around 250 educators, accounting for almost 80% of all district teachers, will join what the Colorado Education Association estimates will be 2,000 teachers to participate in the Statewide Day of Action rally. 

Why rally? Teachers and other education funding advocates say the state has been “chronically” underfunding education by around $4 billion annually. Many are wary of the impacts that the new school finance formula, which dictates how much a district gets in per pupil funding, legislators introduced will have on their districts’ budgets. An anticipated $150 million cut could be the result of the proposed changes. 

Summit County Education Association vice president Jessica Grafmiller said a presentation given to rural districts by the Colorado Education Association detailing how the funding change would impact them raised alarms among her colleagues and served as a catalyst for the association’s participation in the day of action. She said this isn’t the first time the Summit County Education Association advocated for increased education funding — they’ve been doing so for years, and she said it’s getting tiring. 

“After already fighting the fight for the past six years to end the budget stabilization factor to try to get some funding back to education, and after only a few months of (legislators) promising that they were going to do that, to have another shortfall in the statewide budget is (difficult),” she said. “Education tends to get the brunt of that.” 

The association has taken similar actions of advocacy in the past, which Grafmiller said isn’t always accompanied by the outright support from district leaders that they are giving this initiative. The district granted 250 teachers the day off so Summit School District faces can show up in numbers to the rally. 

Superintendent Tony Byrd said district leadership and the Board of Education didn’t have to think twice about doling out their support to the educators.

“We deserve better funding in Colorado. We need to make a big statement, and we have a lot of teachers in particular that are mobilized. I thought it made a lot of sense to put an energy behind them. We’re in a county that largely supports public education,” he said. 

He said research shows one of the most important factors in student performance is the quality and longevity of their teachers, and the district’s advocacy on the matter boils down to just that — having good teachers who are able to stay in the community long term.

Byrd added that today’s students are tomorrow’s leaders, and an investment in education is necessary. 

“I think the fundamental structures for funding public education are broken in Colorado, and I think a statement needs to be made at the state level that would include supporting our teachers and public education funding in general,” he said. 

Byrd made the decision to close schools March 20. Some parents expressed frustration over losing child care for the day. 

Communications director Kerstin Anderson said the district offered the opportunity for students to still go to school — with the exception of preschools due to licensing issues — although there will be no instruction on that day. She said 500 students signed up for supervision across the district. Busses will run as usual to transport students whose families requested supervision. 

“Licensed teachers, community partners and admin staff are all hands on deck to support students at the school locations,” she said. “It’s a non-instructional day, so activities look like physical activity, reading, journaling, other crafts and things like that.” 

Organizations such as the High Country Soccer Association, the Breckenridge Historical Society and Keystone Science School will offer enriching activities. Silverthorne-based indoor play area, the PlayGarten, will offer a free play day for Summit County students, though supervision is required.

The day off will be treated similarly to a snow day and will be tacked on to the end of the year, according to the district.

Byrd said the district will continue to back efforts to increase funding for public education. 

“This isn’t seen as a one-day thing, and we’re done with this — this is a statement by educators and supporters of educators that we need systemic change over the long haul,” he said.