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Facility Schools Workgroup

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Background Information

During the 2021 legislative session, the Colorado General Assembly passed Senate Bill 21-274 (PDF), Sustainable Model to Serve Facility Students. The bill created a workgroup to identify a potential sustainable model that is not embedded in the child welfare system, to better serve students along the continuum for services, and to address the insufficient capacity for services across the state. The workgroup submitted a final report of its recommendations to the department and Joint Budget Committee.

Senate Bill 23-219 (PDF), concerning services to support students eligible to enroll in facility schools was passed during the 2023 legislative session. The bill addressed each of the workgroup recommendations - a new funding model for facility schools; a new school type to address current capacity challenges; an accreditation system for facility schools; a grant to support shared operational services among facility schools; a technical assistance center to support rural and remote school districts in serving students with exceptionally severe and specialized needs; and a resource guide developed by various state agencies in how to establish an approved facility school. The workgroup will continue to monitor progress of implementation of changes to the facility school system and report to the Joint Budget Committee annually. 

Workgroup reports to the JBC

2025 - 2026 Meeting Dates and Information

 

Meetings of the Facility Schools Workgroup will be held remotely. The meetings are open to the public; however, only working group members have an active role in the meetings. The workgroup will allow time for public comment at the beginning of each meeting. Guidelines for public comment include - 3 minutes per person, with a maximum of 5 people (15 minutes total); requests for public comment must be submitted to Wendy Dunaway, Dunaway_W@cde.state.co.us, no less than 24 hours prior to the scheduled meeting time/date - information should include name, group or entity represented, and topic. 

Accommodation Notice:    

  • If you plan to attend a meeting and need accommodations, please notify Lori Kochevar, Kochevar_L@cde.state.co.us, at least 2 weeks prior to the meeting date. Advance notice allows CDE time to set up requested accommodations before the meeting. 
  • If you have requested accommodations for a meeting and are then unable to attend, we ask for at least a 72-hour notice of cancellation, so that CDE can be proactive with cancelling requested accommodation services ahead of the meeting. Thank you! ​

May 1, 2026

  • May Agenda - Coming Soon!
  • May Minutes - will be posted after May 1st, 2026

June 4, 2026

  • June Agenda - Coming Soon!
  • June Minutes - will be posted after June 4th, 2026

Memebership

  • School Districts
  • Board of Cooperative Education Services
  • Special Education Directors
  • Facility Schools and Facility Schools Board Members
  • Department of Health Care Policy and Financing
  • Department of Education
  • Department of Human Services, including Division of Youth Services
  • County Departments of Human Services
  • Parents
  • Eligible facilities

Member list

Sarah Baumgartner

Laurie Burney

Danny Combs

Wendy Dunaway

Mylynda Herrick

Brianna Holmes

Sonjia Hunt

Maitri Jansen

Erin Osterhaus

Steven Ramirez

Deon Roberts

Robin Singer

Judy Stirman

Ann Symalla

 

Barb Taylor

Kevin Tracy

Susan Udenberg

Callan Ware

Laura Writebol


Questions?

For more information about Facility Schools Workgroup, please contact:

Lori Kochevar
Phone: 720-557-0618
Email Lori Kochevar


Having trouble with this webpage? 

Email

If you have problems with broken links or accessing the content on this page, please contact the Exceptional Student Services Unit at ESSU@cde.state.co.us. Please copy the URL link for this page into the email when referencing the problem you are experiencing.

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Exceptional Student Services Unit (ESSU)

ESSU Newsletter

Our primary form of communication, we publish monthly with info from our gifted education, special education, and facility schools offices.

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