Zenzinger Honored for Work to Prepare Colorado Students for Success
Senator named 2022 Policy Leader by Colorado Association of School Executives
BRECKENRIDGE, CO - Colorado State Senator Rachel Zenzinger, D-Arvada, was recently named a 2022 Policy Leader by the Colorado Association of School Executives in recognition of her work to invest in education and support students and families across Colorado.
“Every Colorado student deserves a quality, public education, but our level of state support for schools just wasn’t getting the job done,” Zenzinger said. “I am honored to receive this award for my work tackling this issue. But more importantly I am incredibly proud of the historic and transformative investments we made in Colorado’s K-12 schools that will help us get critical resources to the classrooms that need them most, while making sure every student - regardless of their ability - has the support they need to succeed.”
“Senator Zenzinger is a tireless advocate for public education,” said CASE Executive Director Bret Miles. “Her work to secure significant new funding for special education will have a major positive impact on all school districts in Colorado both this year and years to come, and CASE is so appreciative of her leadership.”
A member of the Senate Education Committee and the Joint Budget Committee, Zenzinger championed several major pieces of legislation to support students and families during the 2022 General Assembly.
Zenzinger sponsored HB22-1390, the 2022 Public School Finance Act, which increases funding for K-12 public schools by nearly $550 per student on average to put more resources directly into classrooms that school districts can use to increase teacher pay and reduce class sizes. She also championed SB22-127 Special Education Funding which dramatically increases funding for more than 100,000 Colorado special education students, from about $220 million per year currently to more than $300 million per year moving forward.
Zenzinger also helped craft the 2022 state budget which increases state support for higher education by investing $129 million to boost financial aid and tuition assistance to save Colorado students and families money on their degrees, as well as SB22-192 Opportunities For Credential Attainment which streamlines educational pathways and better connects students with high-paying, in-demand jobs.